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Events & Festivals
What happens every week, and the nine festival dates that fill the car park.
Every week
The ordinary rhythm
Most of what we do is unremarkable and repeats. That is rather the point — if you turn up on any given Wednesday evening, something will be happening.
| Monday | Morning & evening aarti · building maintenance rota 18:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Morning & evening aarti · Hanuman Chalisa recitation 19:30 |
| Wednesday | Morning & evening aarti · seniors' chai and cards 15:00–17:00 |
| Thursday | Morning & evening aarti · kitchen menu planning 19:30 |
| Friday | Morning & evening aarti · community bhajan sandhya 19:30–21:00 |
| Saturday | Language & music school 09:30–12:30 · aarti 08:30 and 19:00 |
| Sunday | Aarti 11:00 · community lunch 12:30 · evening aarti 19:00 |
Every year
The festival calendar
Hindu festival dates follow the lunar calendar and shift each year, so exact dates are confirmed roughly six weeks in advance and posted on the noticeboard at the entrance. Ring us if you are travelling in for one.
Makar Sankranti · January
Kite flying on the lawn if the wind cooperates, tal-sankli and chikki, and a great deal of standing about in coats. Runs from late morning until dusk.
Maha Shivaratri · February or March
All-night vigil with four rounds of abhishek through the night. Chai served continuously. Around sixty people stay to the final round at 04:00.
Holi · March
Holika bonfire on the Friday evening, colours on the lawn on the Saturday from 11:00. Bring clothes you never want to wear again. Colours are provided.
Ram Navami · March or April
Midday recitation, a decorated cradle, and a shared meal afterwards. One of the quieter and more family-oriented days in the calendar.
Guru Purnima · July
An evening of teaching and music, with the Saturday-school students performing what they have learned over the year for their parents.
Janmashtami · August
Bhajans from 21:00, the birth observed at midnight, then prasad. The children run the dahi-handi in the car park the following afternoon.
Ganesh Chaturthi · August or September
Ten days of morning and evening aarti, modak on the final Sunday, and a visarjan procession that circles the block on foot.
Navratri · September or October
Nine nights of garba and raas from 20:00 to 23:30, live dhol on nights five and nine, and a genuinely open invitation to the whole town.
Diwali & Annakut · October or November
Lakshmi puja on Diwali evening, then the Annakut offering the next morning — over a hundred dishes brought from home and arranged before the shrine.
Coming to a festival for the first time?
Parking
Sixteen spaces on site, filled by 19:30 on a garba night. Street parking on Valencia Pl and the adjoining roads is unrestricted; please keep driveways clear — our neighbours have been extremely patient with us for nine years.
What to bring
Yourself. Perhaps a dish if you are coming to Annakut. Small children are entirely welcome and there is a quiet corner in the classroom for anyone who needs to step out.
Food
Prasad and a light meal are served at every festival, free of charge. All food is vegetarian. Allergen information is written on cards next to each dish.
Confirming dates
Call (303) 501-5481 or email info@shrikhodiyarmandirtrust.website and someone will get back to you, usually the same day.