The Bhagavatam says that hearing its stories even once destroys accumulated karma. Every gathering is auspicious. But these occasions carry special significance:

• Shraddha and Pitra Paksha — hearing Bhagavatam for the peace of departed ancestors is among the most powerful Vedic rituals; families hosting a katha in memory of elders is a beautiful tradition
• Kartik month — the holiest month for Vaishnava practice; hearing Bhagavatam during Kartik is said to carry 1,000× the merit
• Vaikuntha Ekadashi — an all-night katha on this day is a cherished tradition
• Housewarming — welcome the Lord’s pastimes into your new home as its first sacred event
• Birthdays of elders and grandparents — a Bhagavatam session in their honour is a deeply meaningful gift
• Parents visiting from India — many Bay Area families use this as an occasion to connect the older generation’s traditions with friends here
• Annual family tradition — several families hold a katha every year, dedicating it to departed family members
• No special occasion — the Bhagavatam itself says there is no better use of time than hearing about the Lord. Any Saturday or Sunday will do.

A standard single-session katha runs 1.5–2 hours. Here is the typical flow:

• Mangalacharana (auspicious opening shlokas): 5–10 min
• Introduction — which canto and story, why it was chosen, background of the characters: 10–15 min
• Sanskrit recitation of key shlokas from the story with transliteration: 10–15 min — guests feel the original text even without knowing Sanskrit
• Storytelling (katha) — the speaker brings the story to life with emotion, humour, and relevance to modern life: 50–60 min
• Q&A and discussion: 15–20 min — often the most engaging part; guests connect the story to their own lives
• Closing prayer and prasadam: 10 min

For multi-day events or the 7-day Saptah, each day covers specific cantos and builds toward the Rasa-lila and Canto 10 climax.

However, if you’re inclined, you can donate per your faith and capacity for supporting temple operations and Sanatan dharma. You will get a receipt for your donations for tax deduction purposes. It will either be from ISKCON of Silicon Valley or Pacific Learning Alliance.

Remember: 

1. Taking a bath purifies your body
2. Mantra meditation purifies your mind
3. giving charity purifies your wealth

Please do not give individual envelopes with donations to each team member. 

All the donation goes to the temple. We don’t keep anything for ourselves. Sometimes we may partner with devotees from other organizations to conduct the program and it just complicates things if you give them a donation too. Then ISKCON cannot give you a receipt for the donation you give to them. We want to avoid this complication.

We don’t recommend cash or cheque because it becomes challenging to get you a donation receipt well before tax season. With digital donation methods, you get an immediate digital receipt via email or text, and it’s less hassle for everyone. 

• Credit or debit card/ Apple Pay / Samsung Pay/ Google Pay. This payment method uses Square and will happen on the spot with a temple devotee who is conducting the program. Note that the Square receipts don’t have your name on it for matching.
• Zelle – teamisv@gmail.com. If you use this method, please send us a screenshot for tracking purpose as we don’t have access to these accounts.
• Paypal –  teamisv@gmail.com. If you use this method, please send us a screenshot for tracking purposes as we don’t have access to these accounts.
• Venmo. @isv_books If you use this method, please send us a screenshot for tracking purposes as we don’t have access to these accounts.

If your company matches donations for nonprofits, then please do consider it. We do encourage you to explore this option. You can use the receipt for submit for matching donation for these registered nonprofits:

Pacific Learning Alliance 

EIN 45-2210885

Pacificlearningalliance@gmail.com

OR

ISKCON of Silicon Valley 

EIN 77-0463781

If your matching portal requires your name on it, we can send you a PDF receipt with your name on the letterhead of ISKCON of Silicon Valley or Pacific Learning Alliance. It can take a little time (like a week or two at max), but it will be done.

Please understand that the temple volunteers are also busy working professionals, and with so much going on, they too have challenges in following up for non profit donations. The donation amount is strictly between you and Shri Radha Madan Mohan and we are just instruments.

Please do not be offended when we request you to share the donation amount. Kindly note that the temple volunteers don’t have any direct access to the temple accounts so we are unable to know how much you donated. It’s a completely blind process. Thus, we have to request you to tell us the figure so that we can talk to the treasurer and have an official receipt sent to you. 

For cooking at home or with friends, kindly note:

• The utensils should not have been used for cooking non-veg or eggs or seafood before.
• If you’re asking your friends to make anything, please ensure they are following the above cooking standards.
• While cooking, you can put bhajans or Hare Krishna kirtan from YouTube to keep your mind spiritually inclined. The consciousness of the preparer comes into the food.

Outside catering options/ Some of them deliver also so please ask:

1. Yogi Plate (669) 278-8417 (South Bay) (devotee-owned catering service)
2. Arth Vegetarian Food Catering +1 (669) 800-7099 
3. Harsha Jain (510) 298-8116, (510) 207-6767 (Fremont Gujrati aunty)
4. Neelu Vegetarian cook +1 (510) 358-0718
5. Shalini Khanna vegetarian cook +1 (408) 406-7252 
6. Chat Bhavan (Fremont/ Sunnyvale/ Dublin) Ask for Jain Food
7. Ananda Bhavan (Pleasanton) (925) 924-1122 Ask for Jain Food
8. Sricatering.com (Livermore/Tri-valley area) (813) 389-4225 or (813) 735-9815 Ask for Jain Food

Please note:

• We are not directly associated with any of these caterers.
• Ask them for Jain food (without onion, garlic, mushrooms, gelatin etc.)

If possible, request them NOT to taste ahead of time as it is for Bhoga for the Lord.

Prasadam need not be elaborate. Fruit, water, and a simple sweet offering is entirely appropriate. The Bhagavatam itself is the feast — the food is secondary.

We can schedule a shorter evening slot (6:30–8:30 PM) if a full afternoon katha is too much to organise. Just share your constraints and we will build the session around them.

Your network is bigger than you think and a satsang is a great way to get back in touch. You can tap these networks for inviting people:

• Neighbors in your community
• Parents of your children’ s friends
• Colleagues 
• Alumni network
• Volunteering or interest groups you are part of 
• Relatives

Multiply that with 2 to cover your spouse’s networks.

⇒ So, if you really get down to it, you can easily invite 15-30 families. This is the real service in organizing a satsang.

Pets roam around and sniff people or lick them or our equipment, which becomes a hygiene issue. 

We thus request pets to be tied in an area that’s away from the gathering place and visually out of sight.

The Srimad Bhagavatam has 12 Cantos. The most requested stories:

• Gajendra Moksha (Canto 8) — the elephant’s prayer; pure surrender brings divine rescue
• Prahlad Maharaj (Canto 7) — a 5-year-old’s unshakeable devotion; Narasimhadev’s appearance
• Dhruva Maharaj (Canto 4) — a young boy’s quest for God; vision of Lord Vishnu
• Ajamila (Canto 6) — the power of the holy name even at the moment of death
• Krishna’s Vrindavan pastimes (Canto 10) — the most beloved canto; Damodar, Govardhana, Rasa-lila
• Suta Goswami and Parikshit Maharaj (Canto 1) — why the Bhagavatam was spoken

Evite: Dear friends, you are warmly invited for a Srimad Bhagavatam Katha at [your name]’s home. An expert speaker will narrate one of the great stories from the Bhagavatam — with Sanskrit recitation, meaning, and modern relevance. Light prasadam will be served. Please RSVP.

WhatsApp group / social media:
Srimad Bhagavatam Katha at [Host Name]’s home!
📖 [Story name, e.g. Prahlad Maharaj / Gajendra Moksha]
🎙 Narrated by ISKCON Silicon Valley speaker
🙏 Sanskrit shlokas + meaning + modern applications
📍 [Your address]
🗓 [Date & time]
All are welcome. No prior knowledge needed.

For a Bhagavatam katha, the seating arrangement carries specific traditional meaning:

• Vyasasana for the speaker — the katha-vachak sits on an elevated seat (vyasasana), representing the seat of Vedavyasa who compiled the Bhagavatam. Even a simple elevated chair or cushion platform honours this tradition. The speaker’s seat should be slightly higher than the audience.
• Guests face the speaker — rows or a semi-circle facing the vyasasana is ideal. This creates a listening posture (shravanam), which the Bhagavatam says is the primary act of devotion.
• Altar near the speaker — an image of Lord Vishnu/Krishna, the Bhagavatam text, flowers, a lamp, and incense. The physical presence of the scripture in the room is considered auspicious.
• For multi-day katha — keep the vyasasana and altar set up throughout; the sacred space should remain undisturbed between sessions.
• Minimise distractions — turn off screens, dim overhead lights, use a lamp near the altar. The spoken word of the Bhagavatam carries best in a quiet, reverential atmosphere.