A diya decoration competition is one of the simplest Diwali contests a school, housing society or community hall can run, and one of the easiest to judge badly. Entries look similar at a glance, the time limit is short, and the judges are often parents or volunteers with no shared rubric. This guide gives you a 100-mark judging rubric, a printable score sheet and the deduction rules to settle disputes before they start. Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November, so the window to publish your rules and run registration is now.
What a diya decoration competition tests
Participants receive a clay diya (oil lamp) and decorate it using paint, beads, mirror pieces, sequins, cloth, paper or natural materials. Some events also ask for a stand or tray arrangement. The judging question is simple: which lamp is the most finished, the most original and the most suited to a festival setting? Write that question into your rules so every judge scores the same thing.
Typical age groups and sample items
- Junior (under 10): single diya, paint and dot work, teacher-supervised materials
- Middle (10 to 13): single diya with free design, mixed materials allowed
- Senior (14 and above): diya with a matching tray, theme-based décor
- Open / family: a group of lamps arranged as one display, judged as one entry
Run a separate item for each age group. Mixing a seven-year-old’s painted diya with a teenager’s mirror-work lamp in one pool produces scores that nobody trusts.
The 100-mark rubric
| Criterion | Marks | What the judge looks for |
|---|---|---|
| Base and shape | 15 | Clean rim, even base, lamp sits flat and can hold oil safely |
| Design and pattern | 25 | Balance of motifs, symmetry, repetition with variation |
| Finish and neatness | 20 | Paint edges, no drips, glued pieces secure, no loose beads |
| Colour harmony | 15 | Palette suits a festival, contrast is readable from a distance |
| Originality and theme | 15 | Personal idea, regional or festival reference, clear story in the design |
| Presentation | 10 | Tray or stand tidy, lamp ready to light, participant can explain the design |
| Total | 100 |
Deductions and rules to publish in advance
- Oil or flame in the entry: entry is withdrawn for safety, not scored
- Materials brought in pre-made (ready-made stickers or moulded decorations): deduct 10 marks, or set a rule that only hand-applied decoration counts
- Help from another person during the time limit: deduct 5 marks per instance
- Entry arrives after the time limit: not judged
- Lamp is cracked or unsafe to light: deduct 10 marks under Base and shape
Set the time limit in the rules (commonly 45 to 60 minutes for a single lamp, longer for a tray set) and state whether entries are judged before or after they are lit. Decide this once, because lit lamps look very different in photographs.
Score sheet you can print
| Chest / entry no. | Base /15 | Design /25 | Finish /20 | Colour /15 | Originality /15 | Presentation /10 | Deductions | Total /100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Each judge fills one sheet per entry and signs it. If two judges differ by more than 10 marks on the same entry, the chief judge reviews both sheets before the result is published.
Running it at scale with eTalenter
For a school or society with more than one venue or a few hundred entries, paper sheets become the bottleneck. eTalenter’s arts-festival management software lets you set up the rubric above as judging criteria, assign judges to each item, and tabulate results as scores come in, so the winners list is ready when the lamps are lit. You can open a live demo to see the judge scoring screen with no sign-up. For setup help, message us on WhatsApp or email support@etalenter.com.
Related guides
- Rangoli competition judging criteria, the floor-art sibling that uses the same festival rubric logic
- Garba and dandiya raas judging criteria, for the Navratri season
- Ganeshotsav competition software, for festival-season decoration and craft items
Frequently asked questions
Can participants use pre-made decorations?
That is your rule to set. Most organisers either ban pre-made decorations or deduct marks for them, because otherwise the judging measures shopping rather than craft. Publish the choice before registration.
Should the lamp be lit during judging?
Decide in advance. Judging unlit entries keeps the focus on decoration. Judging lit entries rewards glow and placement. If you light them, provide a safe, supervised area and an extinguishing plan.
How many judges do we need?
Three is a practical minimum for a single item. With three judges you can drop the highest and lowest score on each entry, which limits the effect of one judge who favours a particular style.
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