How to Write a Terahvi Invitation: Order of Details and What to Leave Out
By the ShokSabha team · Published · Updated · 7 min read
A Terahvi invitation is read by people deciding whether they can attend before work or after. So the order matters more than the language.
Put these in this order
- Who has passed away, with the relation to the family if the card is going to a wider circle
- That a prayer meeting or Terahvi is being held
- Date and day of the week
- Start time, and the end time if there is one
- Venue and address with a landmark
- Whether a meal follows
- Family's name and one contact number
Sample wording
English: With deep sorrow we inform that the Terahvi of our beloved father Late Shri Ramprasad Sharma will be held on Sunday, 15 March 2026, 11 AM to 1 PM at Arya Samaj Mandir, Sector 5. Lunch will follow. You are requested to attend and pay your respects.
Hindi: अत्यंत दुःख के साथ सूचित किया जाता है कि हमारे पूज्य पिताजी स्वर्गीय श्री रामप्रसाद शर्मा की तेरहवीं रविवार, 15 मार्च 2026 को प्रातः 11 बजे से 1 बजे तक आर्य समाज मंदिर, सेक्टर 5 में आयोजित है। भोजन की व्यवस्था है। आप सादर आमंत्रित हैं।
What to leave out
- A long list of every relative's name; it crowds the card and someone will be missed
- 'No flowers' or 'no gifts' requests unless you mean them; people will ask
- Two phone numbers that nobody can tell apart
- A date that is not yet confirmed. Send it when it is
When to send which card
| When | What goes out | What it must say |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Shok Sandesh (death notice) | Name, date of passing, and the cremation time only if people are expected to attend |
| Day 2 to 4 | Chautha or Uthala notice, if your family holds one | Date, a two-hour time window, address |
| As soon as the pandit confirms, ideally by day 8 to 10 | Terahvi invitation | Everything in the list above |
| The evening before | A one-line reminder with the Maps pin | Time and place again, as text |
Wording for a Shradhanjali Sabha with Pagdi Rasam
Many city families hold a two-hour prayer meeting with the Pagdi Rasam in place of a full-day Terahvi gathering. The order of details stays the same; only the name of the ceremony changes.
Hindi: हमारे पूज्य पिताजी स्वर्गीय श्री रामप्रसाद शर्मा की श्रद्धांजलि सभा एवं पगड़ी रस्म रविवार, 15 मार्च 2026 को दोपहर 2 बजे से 4 बजे तक निज निवास पर होगी। शोकाकुल: समस्त शर्मा परिवार।
English: A prayer meeting and Pagdi Rasam in memory of our beloved father Late Shri Ramprasad Sharma will be held on Sunday, 15 March 2026, from 2 PM to 4 PM at our residence. In grief: the Sharma family.
Six checks before you send it
- The day of the week matches the date. Open a calendar and look; do not work it out in your head. 15 March 2026 is a Sunday, 16 March is a Monday
- The time says AM or PM, or प्रातः, दोपहर or सायं. '11 बजे' alone gets phone calls
- The prefix is right: स्वर्गीय for a man, स्वर्गीया for a woman
- The name is spelled the way the family writes it, including the middle name or initial relatives know
- The address has a landmark, and the one phone number on the card belongs to someone who will pick up that week
- A second person has read the whole card aloud. The writer never sees their own mistake
How to sign the card
Close with 'शोकाकुल' followed by the family name, for example 'शोकाकुल: समस्त शर्मा परिवार'. If names must be listed, keep to the immediate family in order of seniority and end with 'एवं समस्त परिवार'. Keep the message itself to about forty words so the date and venue stay large enough to read on a phone.
Customs differ between families, communities and regions. This guide describes common practice, not a religious ruling; confirm dates and rites with your own priest, imam or elders. See our disclaimer.