Set the date with the people who keep it
Confirm the gathering date before ordering food. Ask the temple's date too, especially if guests also plan to go there. Decide who leads the puja, whether guests are invited to join, and when dinner can begin. You can organize chairs and supper without knowing the mantras. The person leading the observance can tell you where people should stand.
This evening plan suits a household keeping Lakshmi Puja. Bandi Chhor Divas is a Sikh observance of Guru Hargobind's release, with its own worship and gathering. For Jains, Diwali marks Mahavir's nirvana, or liberation. Ask Sikh and Jain guests what they observe instead of placing everyone in the same puja plan.
Set out all 15 chairs before promising a seated dinner. At 30, a buffet may be easier, but check the walking path with a plate in hand. Tell guests whether to remove shoes and leave a chair by the shoe area for anyone who needs to sit. Keep the route to food clear of the prayer space.
From Sunday to Sunday
| Date | What to do |
|---|---|
| Sunday, November 1 | Set the date and sample meal time with family. Send invitations and ask about food restrictions. |
| Monday, November 2 | Ask the sweet shop when it needs the final piece count and whether you can change the order. |
| Thursday, November 5 | Close replies, count chairs, and ask cooks for each dish's yield and arrival time. |
| Saturday, November 7 | Shop, clear the entrance, and prepare what your recipes safely allow ahead. Some households observe Deepavali this morning. |
| Sunday, November 8 | Set up serving dishes and lamps. Use your household's puja time, then serve dinner. |
Don't buy sweets blind. Reserve what the shop can hold, then give it the final count when replies and promised boxes are in. One line in a guest's reply is enough to start: anything you can't eat? Follow up privately about ingredients and shared utensils. If someone needs a Jain meal without root vegetables, ask which foods they avoid rather than guessing a menu for them.
Put rice, dal and another main on the order
For 15, I'd serve rice, dal, one other substantial vegetarian main, savoury snacks and two kinds of sweets. At 30, make the same menu in larger batches or split the cooking between two people. These are our working numbers for shopping, not standard serving sizes. Ask the cook to confirm each dish's actual yield before paying for ingredients. If your family has its own measures, use them.
| Buy or prepare | 15 guests | 30 guests |
|---|---|---|
| Dry rice, our working number | 1.2 kg | 2.4 kg; check pot capacity |
| Dal | 15 dinner servings | 30 dinner servings |
| Second vegetarian main | 15 dinner servings | 30 dinner servings |
| Savoury snacks | 45 to 60 pieces (3 to 4 each) | 90 to 120 pieces (3 to 4 each) |
| Sweets | 30 to 45 pieces (2 to 3 each) | 60 to 90 pieces (2 to 3 each) |
| Water and chai | Water for 15 with refills; chai for 15 cups | Water for 30 with refills; chai for 30 cups |
| Plates for dinner and a second round | 30 | 60 |
| Cups, bowls and spoons | 30 cups, 18 bowls, 30 spoons | 60 cups, 36 bowls, 60 spoons |
The sweets count includes dessert, not an assumed box to take home. Order extra only if you want to send sweets home. If a shop offers a substitute, check its ingredients with guests who have allergies before accepting it. Keep milk, cream and paneer sweets at 40 F or below until serving. Once out, don't leave them longer than two hours, or one hour if the room is above 90 F. Put out a smaller plate and refill it from the fridge.
Add your own quotes for the rice and mains, sweets, lamps, flowers and supplies. Then add a 20% reserve. Prices change by shop, and a made-up total won't help you. The guest count and food quantities can go into the calculators at the end.
Give every pan a landing place
Write the name, yield, arrival time and serving vessel next to each dish. Set an empty serving bowl beside each pan and find a spoon for the first serving and the refill. Decide which food stays on the stove and what moves to the buffet. Ask the person bringing the second main when it will arrive and agree on what you'll serve if they're late.
An example evening, if your household agrees: guests arrive at 5:00 PM, puja begins at 5:30 PM, and dinner starts at 7:00 PM. Put those times on the invitation only after the person leading the puja agrees. Children who need to eat earlier can have a plate from the kitchen. Chai and sweets can come out after dinner, with fresh cups waiting.
Put the lamps where sleeves can't reach them
Rangoli can sit beside the entrance without taking over the path. A stroller or a guest using a mobility aid still needs a clear way through. Walk from the buffet to a chair with a plate and check that your sleeves can't brush a flame. If a guest has to step over a diya to reach the rice, move the diya.
Use sturdy holders away from curtains, decorations and loose sleeves, and beyond children's reach. Fill each diya no more than a third with oil or ghee. Put it out whenever you leave the room. Never pour water on burning oil; if a fire starts, leave and call emergency services. LED lights are fine where there isn't a safe place for a flame.
Before guests arrive
- Ask the relative arranging the puja what supplies they need.
- Check that a helper owns the door and another owns food refills.
- Put cups by the chai and spare plates by the buffet.
- Check ingredients with anyone whose food needs a separate dish or utensil.
You'll have enough to do at the stove. Give the helpers their jobs before the first knock, and put the final meal time where they can see it.
Questions
Is Sunday, November 8 right for every household?
No. Confirm the date and timing with your temple and the people keeping the observance at home. Some Tamil and South Indian households may celebrate on the morning of Saturday, November 7.
How many sweets for 20 people?
Our working count is 40 to 60 small pieces, plus any take-home boxes you choose. Subtract what guests have promised to bring.
Can I use LED lights?
Yes. They're useful beside a busy walkway or where children can reach the table. Ask whoever leads the puja if a particular lamp is wanted elsewhere.
Send the invitation once the date is settled
State the gathering date, the puja time if guests are joining it, and when dinner begins. Let guests reply without an account. Revise the quantities once you know who is coming.
Host checklist
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