Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c25.s1.61

v2.c25.s1.61

Another celebration which evoked admiration from foreign travellers was the Dīpāvaḷi festival held in the month of Kārttika. This commemorates the victory which Viṣṇu scored against the Asuras and Narakāsuras, and since, as they say, it was won in the evening, there is a universal illumination of houses and temples in the land...² Conti thus describes the Dīpāvaḷi festival: "On another of these festivals they fix up within their temples, and on the outside of the roofs, an innumerable number of lamps of oil of Susimanni, which are kept burning day and night."³