For our Yajmans
Yajman Guide
॥ जय श्री कृष्ण ॥
Thank you for taking the sacred privilege of leading the rituals of the Katha. This page gathers everything you need in one place — when and where to be, what to bring, the guidelines to observe, and the coordinators here to help you.
The privilege
Why we serve as Yajmans
The seva is ours to carry
We don't watch the Katha from the hall. Our own hands light the lamp and offer the daily Pooja, and we sit with the Havan until it's complete.
We serve as a family
Husband and wife at the front, children beside us, in the name of our parents and the elders who brought us this far. For a week we hold them all in one place.
We keep the doors open for everyone
The Katha is free, and no one leaves hungry. That happens because some of us step forward to carry it, so the whole community can come and sit together.
The deeper reason
A yajna we offer to ourselves
When Arjuna asked how anyone could master a mind so restless, Krishna did not point him to ritual. He named two things: abhyāsa and vairāgya. Steady practice, and detachment from what pulls at us.
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम् ।
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥
“Without doubt the mind is restless and hard to master. Yet through practice and through detachment, it can be held.”
What we practice is not the diet or the early evenings; those are only the outer shape of the week. The real work is inward: loosening the grip of our ego, holding to our discipline when it would be easier not to, choosing kindness, and doing our duty without excuses. This is the dharma the Bhagavat asks of us, and the week is where we train for it.
None of that is small or comfortable. It is a personal journey, and the Katha is not somewhere we come to sit quietly and feel calmer for a week. It asks us to face ourselves honestly, and to leave as better people than we arrived.
We do not do this alone. Every Yajman family beside us has taken on the same work in these days. We each do it for ourselves, but never by ourselves, and that is the community we belong to.
Where to be & when
Important dates & timings
On regular evenings, Yajmans arrive by 5:00 PM for the 5:15 PM Pooja — ahead of the public Katha. The opening and final days run differently, so please check your day below.
Opening day
Genesis CentreSunday · July 12
- 2:00 PMYajmans arrive
- 2:30 – 3:45 PMKalash Yatra
- 3:45 – 4:30 PMBreak, rest & jalpan
- 4:30 – 5:45 PMFirst-day Pooja
- 6:00 – 9:00 PMKatha
- 9:00 – 9:15 PMAarti
Dress in yellow and bring a decorated Lota for the Kalash Yatra.
Daily schedule
Genesis CentreMonday – Friday · July 13 – 17
- 5:00 PMYajmans arrive
- 5:15 – 5:55 PMPooja
- 6:00 – 9:00 PMKatha
- 9:00 – 9:15 PMAarti
Final Katha day
Genesis CentreSaturday · July 18
- 5:00 PMYajmans arrive
- 5:15 – 5:55 PMPooja
- 6:00 – 8:45 PMKatha
- 8:45 – 9:15 PMAarti & final-day Pooja
Havan
ChestermereSunday · July 19
- 10:00 AM – 1:00 PMHavan — for Yajmans only
Held in Chestermere, not at the Genesis Centre. Further details to be provided by July 10.
Come prepared
What to bring
All Pooja and Havan samagri (materials) are provided. Yajmans bring only a few personal items for the daily Pooja.
- Dress in yellow clothes
- A decorated Lota
- Steel thali
- Steel glass
- Steel bowl
- Spoon(s)
- A few coins
- Flowers
- A few cloves / cardamoms
For the Havan on July 19, the Pooja Arrangements team will share what to bring closer to the date.
Niyam & Sainyam
Participant guidelines
To preserve the sanctity and spiritual atmosphere of the Yagna, Yajmans are gently requested to observe the following.
Satvik diet
Follow a strictly vegetarian Satvik diet — no onion or garlic — from July 9 to July 22 (three days before and after the Katha).
Brahmacharya
Observe celibacy from July 11 to July 20 as part of the spiritual discipline.
Dress code
Wear clean, modest, traditional Indian attire. Yellow, red, green, orange, and white are highly recommended.
Punctuality
Arrive at least 15 minutes early, collect your Pooja Samagri, and be seated and ready to begin promptly at the start time shown for your day (5:15 PM on regular evenings).
Positive conduct
Set aside anger, jealousy, ego, gossip, and arguments. Keep a calm, respectful, and positive mind throughout.
Attendance
Please attend all the continuous sessions and remain present until each day's rituals are complete.
Personal hygiene
Bathe before attending the Pooja each day and maintain personal cleanliness.
Silence & phones
Maintain silence during the Pooja to preserve concentration, and switch mobile phones to silent before entering the hall.
Children
Please keep children seated with you, and ensure they do not run around the hall during the rituals.
Here to help
Your Yajman coordinators
For your registration, the daily schedule, or any question at all, please reach out to a coordinator — they are here to make your participation smooth and joyful.
Krishna Vernan
(587) 719-6644Shiv Sharma
(403) 471-6696Ramesh Verma
(403) 424-4666Saroj Varma
(403) 805-8293Teams supporting you
Pooja Arrangements
Provide the list of items to bring for the daily Pooja and for the Havan on July 19.
- Saroj Kumar(403) 629-4717
- Shallu Ram(403) 471-6696
Barni Preparation
Prepare one Barni per Yajman family ahead of the Katha.
- Monika Narula(403) 973-4039
- Anshu Singla(403) 689-9262
Ready to participate?
Register as a Yajman and a coordinator will be in touch with everything you need. For details on dakshina and the wider event, see the main Katha page.
॥ जय जय श्री राधा कृष्ण ॥
