House of Lac

In the Mahabharata, the later of the two
great Hindu epics, this is one of the
stratagems through which the epic’s
antagonist, Duryodhana, tries to kill the
five Pandava brothers, who are his
cousins and the epic’s protagonists.
Duryodhana builds the Pandavas a
magnificent palace, without telling
them that it is constructed completely of
lac, a highly flammable substance. After
the Pandavas have settled into the
palace, Duryodhana has his minions set
it on fire in an effort to burn them alive.
The Pandavas are saved by the sagacity
of their uncle Vidura, who not only
warns them of the danger, but has constructed an underground passage allowing them to escape from the house and a
tunnel to convey them far away without
being discovered. When the house is set
afire, the Pandavas escape through the
tunnel and for some time are safe from
Duryodhana, since they are presumed
to have died in the fire.