In an age when everything old is passe, why should your kandeel experience FOMO? Sumit Naikde is here to help. The 29-year-old has been in the business of making kandeels or Diwali lanterns the regular way—with kite paper—for several years. Last year, he decided to make a shift. On a suggestion from his brother-in-law, he decided to use sarees instead of paper.

The first time he made a kandeel with fabric, he says, it was a hit. This year, he decided he would make kandeels exclusively out of sarees—Paithanis, Tanjore silk, cotton silk and pure cotton. What variety he uses depends on what is available at the local saree shop his brother-in-law runs nearby. "Sarees have to be cut meticulously to make them into kandeels. There is a lot of wastage," he admits, adding however, that because it's fabric he is working with, it not just looks better when the light comes on and the colours stand out, it also lasts longer. While a paper-made kandeel is easily ruined by water, liquid spillage or even a stain, a saree kandeel has a higher survival rate.