Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi joked that he does not mind being 'memefied,' after a photo of him gazing at the last solar eclipse of the decade has become viral.

"Like many Indians, I was enthusiastic about #solareclipse2019," Modi wrote, while posting several pictures of himself gazing at the sky wearing protective shades.

"Unfortunately, I could not see the Sun due to cloud cover but I did catch glimpses of the eclipse in Kozhikode and other parts on live stream."

Like many Indians, I was enthusiastic about #solareclipse2019. Unfortunately, I could not see the Sun due to cloud cover but I did catch glimpses of the eclipse in Kozhikode and other parts on live stream. Also enriched my knowledge on the subject by interacting with experts. pic.twitter.com/EI1dcIWRIz — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 26, 2019

The images were retweeted more than 5,500 times. One user suggested that the photo of the PM is turning into a meme, to which Modi simply replied: "Most welcome… enjoy :)"

The eclipse began at 8am local time on Thursday and was visible in most parts of India, with the best view in the southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The Moon passed between Earth and the Sun, but could not obscure the Sun completely, thus for a brief time creating an illuminated 'Ring of Fire.'

People in India and other parts of Asia posted photos of the eclipse in different weather conditions.

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