Festive Lighting Ideas 2025: How to blend traditional and modern lighting this festive season

This festive season, light up your home by pairing timeless diyas with smart bulbs, fairy lights, and LED accents for a perfect blend of tradition and modern style. (Image: Pinterest)

Indian festivals are a reason to not just celebrate a deity, an occasion, or life, but to celebrate your living. They give you a reason to dress up, declutter your home, and decorate it in countless ways, through fresh coats of paint, decor pieces, plants, and of course, lights.

The shimmer of lights, the glow of diyas, and the warmth of togetherness are all part of the upcoming festivities; from Durga Puja and Dussehra to Diwali. While oil lamps and lanterns have lit our homes for generations, today’s tech-savvy world offers creative new ways to boost tradition. This festive season, homeowners you can find joy in pairing age-old lighting traditions with modern twists.

Lighting has always been central to festive décor in Indian homes. According to Kishan Jain, Director at Goldmedal Electricals, Mumbai, the true spirit of celebrations comes alive when the warmth of tradition is combined with the ease of modern technology. Instead of choosing between the two, "today’s homeowners are mixing both — layering smart bulbs, LED strips, and curtain lights with the timeless glow of lanterns and diya holders to create warm, Instagram-worthy settings", Jain notes.

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He says, "Placing a row of classic brass diyas at the entryway, twinkling under a canopy of fairy lights draped over the door, can be a perfect blend of heritage and mood lighting."

Jain further shares tips to light up your home for the festivals:

Pair old with new: Place LED tea lights inside traditional clay diyas. They're wind-proof, safe, and offer the same warm glow without the mess. On your porch? Add a vibrant lantern with an LED bulb to keep it colourful and bright.

Layer your lighting: Use fairy lights woven around curtain rods, paired with floor lamps or wall sconces. It gives your space dimension, especially when highlighting a rangoli or festive mural.

Smart bulbs, smarter mood: Switch from a warm, low-lit family dinner to a full-on celebration by changing your smart bulb setting from golden amber to vibrant fuchsia, all with your phone.

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Glow from the ground up: Line staircases or verandas with diya-shaped candle holders and add rope lights along windows for an understated sparkle that grows as night falls.

Accent, not overdo: Let one element shine, whether it’s a vintage chandelier or a sleek LED strip behind your pooja shelf. "It’s about balance, not clutter," says Jain.