Topic summary
Deepavali
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Diwali.
History
Emperor Harsha refers to Deepavali in the 7th-century Sanskrit play Nagananda as Dīpapratipadotsava (dīpa = light, pratipadā = first day, utsava = festival), where lamps were lit and newly engaged brides and grooms received gifts. Rajasekhara referred to Deepavali as Dipamalika in his 9th-century Kavyamimamsa, wherein he mentions the tradition of whitewashing and decorating homes, streets, and markets with oil lamps at night.