Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c54.s12.4

v4.c54.s12.4

Throughout that eventful day, while the clash of arms sounded from the eastern plain, the citizens of Punā lay crouching in their homes, tremblingly waiting for the sack that was sure to follow, whichever side won. The ferocious Pathans of Holkar and the villainous Pindharis of Sindhia were equally a menace to that masterless city. All day long no fire was lighted in any kitchen; all ears were kept open for the news from the battlefield. It was the day of the Feast of Lamps (*Dipāvali*) according to the Hindu calendar; to the Punā population it proved a very merry Dipāvali indeed, as the Patwardhan’s local agent wrote in the bitterness of his heart.