Ever since the nationwide lockdown was imposed in March, 2020 in India to control the outbreak of Coronavirus, we have all witnessed unprecedented situations in our lives. The notion of “normal” times underwent a major change, with people forced to stay indoors as per the rules laid out by the government and outdoor public gatherings were highly restricted. This was in complete contrast to the times before the pandemic, where social gatherings existed in almost every walk of life.
With the advancements in technology, we are able to interact with people from any part of the world, virtually. Its presence was, to a certain extent, effective in countering the “loneliness” factor in people’s lives that resulted from home isolation. Numerous people’s employment, education, livelihood and source of recreation switched to the virtual mode and this held the nation’s economy from not completely going down the drain.
To realise the impact of virtual media and communication during this pandemic, let us think and re-visit our lives since last March in “isolation” without it. The following pictorial timeline provides insights into the contrasting visuals (without the presence of virtual media) from “indoor ” and “outdoor” locations of my stay, during this pandemic in 2020. (All the pictures have been clicked from my smartphone)
Illustration 1: A deserted walk-way leading to the entrances of the student hostels, Jurqia and Ijokha, at IIT Gandhinagar campus, in March 2020. A large part of the student community had vacated their hostel rooms to leave for their homes, given the uncertainty and fears related to the spread of virus and actions to be taken by the government at the state and central level. This picture was clicked a night before the travel to my home in Delhi, that was days before the “Junta curfew”, announced by the Modi government.
Illustration 2: The view of a nearby community park, outside my house in Mayur Vihar, Delhi, at the time of first nationwide lockdown period, in late March, 2020. The empty seats, swings, rides, footpaths amidst the greenery in spring time.
Illustration 3: My parents looking outside the veranda after lighting a set of candles and diyas at 9pm on April 9, 2020. This was in response to the appeal made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to all Indians, to place light-emitting objects outside their homes at the given time period for 9 minutes. This was interpreted as a gesture of solidarity with those who lost their lives, for appreciating the efforts of frontline workers and as a hope for prosperity in the upcoming times.
Illustration 4: An empty street in my locality, leading to the markets outside the residential area, in April 2020. The graffiti, prepared by the local municipal authorities, represents certain schemes run by the government in domains such as sanitation, environment conservation, education and healthcare.
Illustration 5: A wide variety of flowers in several shapes and colours in full bloom in the veranda of my house in May 2020, Gardening has been a passion for my mother and in the initial lockdown period, all of the family members took great interest in taking care of these plants.
Illustration 6: A large flock of pigeons gathered at a deserted road in Connaught Place, Delhi, in June 2020. This picture was clicked during the third lockdown period on a weekday afternoon during a visit to one of the nearby offices for documentation work. Majority of the shops, restaurants, offices were closed which resulted in low crowds in an otherwise crowded area. However, there was a crowd, not of humans but of pigeons, who capitalised this opportunity to gather in the area!
Staying indoors in strict lockdown allowed many of us to spend quality time in self-improvement, introspection and in enhancing our skills. After getting saturated with the virtual forms of entertainment and recreation, many of us engaged ourselves in artistic activities, poetry, playing indoor games, solving puzzles, cooking new dishes and several other activities.
Illustration 7: A painting of a garden using acrylic colours on a glass container drawn by my sister.
Illustration 8: Small baskets made by paper cutting and pasting, as part of creative designing.
Illustration 9: A home-made vanilla cake with cashew topping, which was prepared as part of exploring new skills in cooking in the later stages of the nationwide lockdown in July 2020.
Illustration 10: The season’s first rainfall, in early July 2020. This came as a major relief, from the intense heat, for the common people as well the farmers.
Illustration 11: A group of eagles flying over the opposite building during an afternoon in August 2020. One could observe them flying past everyday in a given time period in the afternoon.
As the restrictions on social gathering in public places were slowly getting relaxed as part of the “Unlock” plan of the Central government, the period of religious festivities also commenced. This lifted the spirits of people in several households and at the same time, the government had to carefully plan the guidelines to ensure that people don’t gather in large numbers on these occasions.
Illustration 12: Puja being performed by my father as part of the festivities associated with Ganesh Chaturthi. As part of our traditions it includes the recitation of shlokas, prayers and making wishes for a better future by offering flowers, fruits and other eateries to Lord Ganesha.
Illustration 13: Diwali celebrations, in November which also came under the effect of the pandemic in 2020, were limited to indoor celebrations. In the above picture, new clothes along with a bunch of sweets and snacks are kept before the idols of God as part of the festivities in our tradition.
Illustration 14: Offering prayers at temples was feasible in the later part of the year, after the easing out of social-gathering restrictions in public places. The above image shows my mother wearing mask and holding the offerings to be used as part of the prayers at a temple in RK Nagar, Delhi in late November 2020.
Illustration 15: Eating out at restaurants also gained prominence after the relaxation of restrictions as part of the phased “Unlock” process carried out by Central and State governments. This picture was taken in a Rajasthani restaurant in Delhi in early December 2020 and one could observe the empty tables besides the one with me and my father.
Illustration 16: A view from a street in my locality (Mayur Vihar) in December 2020, in stark contrast (in terms of human activity) with the connecting street, whose picture is explained in Illustration 4. People walking in groups, riding bicycles, motorbikes, cars can be seen with the Metro train running in the background at an elevated track.
Illustration 17: A picture taken at night in the centre of Connaught Place, in December 2020, where the national flag is placed. At the foreground is myself, posing with a mask on and a group of auto-rickshaws and other vehicles in the background. The national flag is the identity of each Indian and evokes a sense of unity, depicting the need of a collective action in order to combat the pandemic.
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