Which Venetian merchant wrote about Diwali lamps in India in the early 15th century?

Niccolò de' Conti was the Venetian merchant who wrote about Diwali lamps in India in the early 15th century.

De' Conti was a merchant and traveler from Venice who spent decades journeying through the Middle East and Asia. During his travels in India, he described a festival when temples and rooftops were covered with countless oil lamps burning day and night. He also noted people wearing new clothes, singing, dancing, gathering with family, and feasting.

His account is one of the early European descriptions associated with Diwali, although he did not necessarily use the modern standardized spelling or describe every regional custom. Diwali traditions vary widely across South Asia: lamps may symbolize the triumph of light over darkness, and celebrations can honor Lakshmi, Rama, Krishna, Kali, or other religious traditions depending on the region. Marco Polo is a common mix-up, but his travels in India occurred earlier and he is not the source of this specific lamp description.