Puja & Katha invitations

A puja or katha invite is a call to devotion: Satyanarayan Katha, Ganesh Puja, Sundarkand, or a family puja at home or in a temple. The invite should carry the deity and the purpose with respect, and give guests the practical details they need: the day, the puja time, the venue, and whether prasad or lunch follows. Elders plan their day around puja timings, so put the start time first and mention how long the puja runs. If the katha is read over several hours, mention breaks and the aarti time, because guests often join for the aarti. A simple, calm design with the deity suits the page, and photos are optional. Mention dress guidance gently if the puja is traditional, and mention seating notes for large gatherings. RSVP is light: a headcount for prasad and food is enough. Keep the wording devotional and simple, with the blessing at the top. The katha narration is the soul of the event, so mention who reads it and in which language, because guests follow better when they know. If the katha is in Hindi or Sanskrit, mention it, so guests who prefer a translation can prepare. Aarti plates and flowers are often arranged by the family, but guests who want to bring flowers appreciate knowing. Mention whether the puja is followed by a full lunch or light prasad, because guests plan their day around meals. For Satyanarayan Katha, mention the five chapters briefly, so first time guests understand the flow. A bhajan session after the katha makes the evening devotional and joyful, and mentioning it keeps guests from leaving early.

• The deity and the purpose of the puja or katha, with a blessing line.
• The host family's name, and the priest or temple, if relevant.
• Day, date, puja start time, and expected duration, with a map link.
• Aarti time, if guests often join mainly for the aarti.
• Whether prasad or lunch follows, and its time.
• Dress guidance, if the puja is traditional.
• A simple RSVP for headcount, for prasad and food.
• Katha narrator and language, so guests can follow along.
• Bhajan session note, if the evening includes one.

Send the puja or katha invite 1 to 2 weeks before the puja. Family pujas are often fixed a week or two ahead, and that is enough notice for local guests. For a large temple gathering or a katha with outstation family, send it 3 weeks early. Close RSVP 2 to 3 days before, so prasad quantities are right. Put the puja start time and the aarti time both on the page, because some guests come for the full katha and others for the aarti. If the puja runs over several hours, mention the expected end time, so elderly guests can plan rest. When the date depends on the priest's availability, confirm it before sending, and update the same page if it moves. Pujas follow priest timings, so confirm the start time and duration before sending, and do not promise a time the priest may move. Morning pujas suit elderly devotees, while evening kathas suit working families, so mention the choice in the invite. If the katha runs over two days, put each day on the page with its own timings. For temple pujas on festival days, mention crowd expectations, so devotees arrive early. Keep the prasad time clearly after the aarti, because that is when most devotees gather.