May-25 Diksha Management

Accounts

• Decide overall budget and allocate to sub headings Pandal, Decoration, Prasadam
• One devotee should maintain Accounts, Keep advance cash ready for Misc expenses (Pujari etc)

Anchor

• Decide Anchor for the event, someone who can speak English and Hindi surely. Additionally if he can speak local language it is a bonus. 

Kirtan Team

• Decide this team and ensure good singers and instrument players are there. 
• Clarify to them about instruments (Mridang, Harmonium, Kartal etc) and who will bring. 
• Ask if any additional requirements. 

Pandal Setups

• Decide if you need to put up a Pandal. If it is Summer and very hot and/or there is chance of Rain it is a good idea to put Pandal to provide a well covered place for devotees to sit and watch program or honor prasadam.
• Decide if we need Pandal for shoe stand in case of summer / rainy season.
• LED if required should be placed on a pandal so that visibility is better. Speaker should be connected for sound. 

Event Decoration

• Decide if you need to put a Stage. Decide location. Take measurements and plan nicely. Ensure devotees DO NOT FACE THE DEITIES.
• Decorate Main Altar, SP Altar, Vyasasana and Temple Hall.
• Put enough chairs in hall
• Decorate entrance doors with Bananas, Banana Plants and Mango leaves. Additional places can be decorated with these same items as per need.
• Temple entrance must be decorated nicely with Rangoli / flowers.

Flowers

• Garlands for Deities, SP, Photos on Stage etc. 
• Garlands for Maharaj.
• Garlands for Senior Vaishnavas.
• Garlands for Diksha candidates. Jhandu typically has worms, consider some alternative like Mogra.

Sound

• Good Sound system.
• 2 Wireless Mic.
• Stands for Kirtan team (for Mridanga etc).

Light

• If the program is in the evening ensure whole area is light up nicely.
• Place a few lights on or near the stage so that the stage is well lit up.

Backup Generator

• It is better to have a Backup Generator in case power goes down.
• if possible the Backup can connect to the Mains.

Fire Extinguisher

• Must be placed at key points. 

Prasadam Cooking

• Decode count - for how many to cook. 
• Decide separate menu for Diksha devotees and other devotees based upon budget. 

Prasadam Serving

• Coupons must be distributed at the entry gate from the starting time of the program. Decide till what time coupons will be distributed and then stop after that.
• Coupons must be checked and also Plates must be Counted so that we know how many devotees took Prasadam.
• What is the plan for those who do not have coupons? Should they wait till some time and after that they will get? Decide clearly ahead of time and instruct Volunteers so that there is no confusion at run time,
• Prasadam serving start time must be clearly decided when planning.
  

Plate Washing

• Garbage bags
• Waste collection
• Plate Washing

Shoe Stand

A proper shoe stand to ensure people do not lose their foot wear is required. Generally thieves arrive when events like this happen and steal - it is a known issue. So the solution is to provide a good shoe stand with ENOUGH bags and tokens. If you are expecting 1000 people then be ready for at least 600 bags and tokens. 

This is a heavy seva with lot of momentum - so volunteers who can stand the heat and crowd should be allocated. Five volunteers with One Team lead will be ideal. Remember that the stall must be open from start to finish - so allocate, relieve and rotate volunteers.

if it is going to be hot put a Pandal for the shoe stall. Provide a fan for the volunteers if possible.

Drinking Water / Juice Counter

• Ensure there is enough Drinking water supply.
• If it is summer consider providing cold water and Juice as well.

Donation Counter

• Keep a table with Receipt books and QR codes for online payments.
  
• Keep a Notebook and Pen for tracking purposes.
• If devotee is giving Bhiksha Laxmi decide if you need to give a Receipt or not. If Diksha Guru wants Bhiksha Laxmi to be donated to a specific temple then don't give Receipt - just make a note.

Wash Rooms

• Please ensure there are enough washrooms.
• Ensure the washrooms are thoroughly cleaned before hand. Broken taps if any should be fixed ahead of time.
• Put clear boards indicating way to washroom.

Welcoming Devotees

• Put table at entrance to welcome devotees. 
• Chandan, Gulab Jal, Attar - ladies and gents separate. 

Guru Arati before Diksha

• If Maharaj has a desire to worship his Guru before Diksha begins then a photo of his Guru Maharaj along with Arati plate must be kept ready. 

Social Media

Diksha is a rare event (does not happen frequently) and is a important milestone for devotees. So we need to keep the memories by taking photos and video (live streaming).

• One Photographer will be required to TAKE PHOTOS of Maharaj giving beads to the DEVOTEE. This photo will be very important for the devotee. We will frame and give it later. So the Photographer needs to be super alert with full focus. Ask him to have full breakfast and come and tell him he will be standing for 4o to 6 hours - so come prepared physically. Decide ahead of time if you want to frame the photo horizontally or vertically and instruct the Photographer. He should come well prepared with his charger, lighting setups etc so that the photos come out nicely. 
• We need to livestream the event to the temple YouTube channel, so a high quality camera is required. 
  • Proper position for the Camera to cover the event
  • Table/Stand 
  • Electricity Points (at times camera runs out of power - need to charge)
  • Audio inputs
  • POC (Point of Contact) for this Seva should allocate one devotee to keep checking if Streaming is coming correctly or not. One important program in one temple we lost the entire video because for some reason audio did not stream
  • YouTube channel login credentials

From here onwards Temporary Notes - need to clean up

• Stage
• Vyasasan for Maharaj
• ONE Assistant can sit down besides to give BEADS to Maharaj and ONE Assistant to give Name chit the devotee after Maharaj gives initiation
• Photo of HHGKGM, SP(?), Deities(?) [This will vary as per temple e.g. in Uttam Nagar Diksha will be in temple hall itself, so Deities are right there and SP Deity is also there]
• Cooler for cold air for Maharaj 
• Cooler for cold air for Devotees (Peak temp in May)
• Special Garlands for Maharaj, HHGKGM Photo
• TEN Good Garlands for Senior Vaishnavas
• ? Garlands for all Harinam and Brahmin Diksha candidates
• One devotee near Kirtan Party who will repeat name loudly
• Kirtan Party
• Photographer 
• Videographer
• Live Streaming

• Yajna Kunda
• Yajna Setups for all Candidates 

BEFORE Coming to Maharaj

In front of Senior Devotees (Decide 2 for Males and 2 for Females), Diksha candidate will tell:

1- HHBAVSM Pranati Mantra

2- Four Regulative Principles

3- I will chant 16 rounds daily, 25 on Ekadashi and Festival days and I will read Prabhupada books regularly.

IN FRONT OF Maharaj

1- Do full Dandavats (Prs) and half (Mtjs) : Ensure your feet are not facing the Lord

2- Take beads from Maharaj and name chit

3- Go back to seat and on the way you can offer Full Dandavats again (in a designated place)