They went for daily walks and did yoga in the 2-km (1-mile) stretch of the highway tunnel in which they were trapped.
But many said knowing they were not forgotten, and would be soon pulled out, was what really kept them hopeful and strong.
"For the first day or so, everyone inside was very hopeless and sad," worker Birendra Kishku, 39, told Reuters.
"We lived like brothers," Saba Ahmed, a worker of the private firm contracted to build the tunnel, told Modi.
"My son was consoling me, telling me not to worry and assuring me that they would soon come out."
Persons:
Saurabh Sharma CHINYALISAUR, Doctors, Birendra Kishku, Subodh Kumar Verma, Narendra Modi, Saba Ahmed, Modi, Sukanti Nayak, Raju, consoling, Jatindra, YP Rajesh, Miral Fahmy
Organizations:
Reuters, Authorities, YP
Locations:
India, Rishikesh, Sukanti, Bhubaneswar