Diwali, or Dipavali, is the Hindu festival of lights, celebrated for five or six days between mid-October and mid-November. It marks the triumph of dharma over adharma, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. One widely told story says Rama returned to Ayodhya with Sita and Lakshmana after defeating Ravana, and homes are lit with diyas to welcome them. It is also associated with Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, and Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Families bathe at dawn, decorate floors with rangoli, share sweets and feast, and communities hold parades and fairs. Jains and Sikhs have their own versions, with Sikhs marking the release of Guru Hargobind from a Mughal prison.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.