The festive season is not one event. It is a run of them, often in the same fortnight, frequently with the same people in the room. Buying for it one occasion at a time is how wardrobes end up full and unwearable.
Start with a base
Two or three pieces in shades that sit near each other, such as ivory, sand, a soft rose. These are the ones that take a change of dupatta, jewellery or blouse and read differently each time. They are also the ones you will still be wearing in three years.
Then one deep shade
Something with weight to it: emerald, wine, midnight, rust. This is the piece for the evening function, and it only needs to work once per season to earn itself. Choose it for the fabric and the fall rather than the embroidery.
Then the loud one
One piece that is unapologetically bright. Marigold, deep coral, a true red. It is memorable, which means it can only appear once in front of the same room. Plan it for the event you actually care about.
Connect them with accessories, not more clothes
Two dupattas (one sheer and neutral, one worked) will multiply a five-piece wardrobe further than a sixth outfit would. The same is true of a single well-chosen belt and one pair of good earrings.
The shades that work in Indian daylight
Warm neutrals and jewel tones hold up under strong sun. Very pale pastels and cool greys tend to wash out in photographs taken outdoors at midday, however well they read indoors. If your event is a daytime one, weight the choice accordingly.
Buy fewer, plan the run, and let the pieces talk to each other.