KitchenerCha Raja
वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ
O Lord with the curved trunk and mighty form, radiant as a million suns, remove all obstacles from our path, always.
Bappa arrives in
- Utsav
- September 14 – 18, 2026
- Darshan
- 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM daily
- Address
- 1252 King St E, Kitchener
Our Mandal
सार्वजनिक गणेशोत्सव मंडळ
A home for Bappa, in the heart of Waterloo Region
Kitchener Cha Raja began the way most good things do: a handful of families who missed the sound of dhol-tasha in September, sitting in a living room, deciding to do something about it.
Today we are a Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal serving Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. Sarvajanik means public: the utsav belongs to everyone. There is no membership, no ticket, no invitation needed. If you are here, you are family.
For five days every September we build a home for Bappa, feed everyone who walks in, put our children on stage, and remind ourselves that a community is something you make, not something you find.
No ticket, no membership, no invitation. Walk in on any of the five days and someone will hand you prasad before they ask your name.
Open to Everyone
Sarvajanik in the truest sense: every faith, every background, every family in the region is welcome at our doorstep.
Run by Volunteers
From the aarti thali to the parking lot, every single thing you see is done by neighbours giving their evenings and weekends.
Rooted in Tradition
Pran Pratishtha, Atharvashirsha, Satyanarayan Puja and Visarjan, all performed with the same vidhi our grandparents followed.
Built for the Next Generation
Our kids learn shlokas, dance on our stage and roll their first modak here. That is the whole point.
Ganeshotsav 2026
उत्सवाचा कार्यक्रम
5 days with Bappa
From Sthapana on Monday, September 14 to Visarjan on Friday, September 18. Here is everything happening at the mandap. All programmes are free and open to everyone.
- 1Day 1Monday, Sep 14Main day
Murti Sthapana & Puja
श्री गणेश स्थापना
Bappa arrives. The sthapana and puja begin at 4:00 pm and carry on through the evening. Anyone can attend and there is no registration of any kind, so just come.
- 4:00 PMMurti Sthapana & Puja, onwards
- 2Day 2Tuesday, Sep 15
Aarti & Darshan
आरती व दर्शन
A full day of darshan, with aarti in the morning and again in the evening. Come whenever suits you.
- 10:00 AMDarshan opens
- 10:30 AMMorning Aarti
- 7:30 PMEvening Aarti
- 10:00 PMDarshan closes
- 3Day 3Wednesday, Sep 16
Bhajan Sandhya
भजन संध्या
ISKCON Waterloo join us for two hours of bhajan in the evening, followed by aarti. Bring the family and stay for the singing.
WithISKCON Waterloo- 10:00 AMDarshan opens
- 10:30 AMMorning Aarti
- 6:30 PMBhajan by ISKCON Waterloo, until 8:30 PM
- 8:30 PMAarti
- 10:00 PMDarshan closes
- 4Day 4Thursday, Sep 17
Kids Shloka Competition
बाल श्लोक स्पर्धा
Our children take the stage. Two age groups, Group A for ages 4 to 8 and Group B for ages 9 to 13. Registration is needed, with name and date of birth. After the maha-aarti there is free pani puri for every devotee.
Register for the competition- 10:00 AMDarshan opens
- 10:30 AMMorning Aarti
- 5:30 PMKids Shloka Competition, until 7:00 PM
- 7:30 PMMaha-Aarti
- 8:00 PMFree pani puri for all devotees
- 5Day 5Friday, Sep 18Main day
Visarjan
श्री गणेश विसर्जन
We bid Bappa farewell for another year. Visarjan begins at 7:00 pm, with prasad afterwards.
- 10:00 AMDarshan opens
- 7:00 PMVisarjan, onwards
- AfterPrasad
Timings may shift slightly with the muhurat, so follow us or call ahead on the day to confirm.
Looking back
मागील आठवणी
Three years of Bappa in Kitchener
Every September the hall looks a little different, the crowd gets a little bigger, and the dhol gets a little louder. Here is what it has looked like so far.
Get Involved
सेवा
The utsav is built by whoever shows up
Nobody at Kitchener Cha Raja is paid. Every aarti, every plate of mahaprasad and every metre of decoration comes from families in the region deciding to pitch in. There is room for you.
Volunteer With Us
Help with setup, prasad seva, crowd management, decoration or the visarjan miravnuk. Give an hour or give all five days.
Sign up to helpOffer Dengi
Contributions from families and local businesses cover the murti, the mandap, the sound system and every plate of mahaprasad.
ContributeSponsor a Day
Sponsor an aarti, a mahaprasad, or an entire day of the utsav in your family's name. We will announce it from the stage.
Become a sponsorPerform on Stage
Dancers, singers, musicians and kids with a shloka to recite: our Sanskritik Sandhya stage is open to the whole region.
Register to performOnly if you would like to
Dengi for Bappa
Everything at the utsav is paid for by families chipping in what they can. The murti, the mandap, the sound, the decoration and every plate of mahaprasad. If you would like to add to it, the details are here.
Darshan, aarti and mahaprasad are free for everyone, always, whether you give anything or not. Please treat this as an offer, never an expectation.
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Ganpati 2026
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KitchenerRaja
Any amount is welcome. If you would like a receipt, or want to give in another way, just email us and we will sort it out.
Sign up
सेवेसाठी नोंदणी
Take a seva this year
Tell us how you would like to help and which days suit you. One of our volunteers will call you to sort out the details.
Come see Bappa
दर्शनासाठी या
Find us on King Street
We are in the middle of Kitchener, a short drive from Waterloo and Cambridge. Free parking on site, and prasad for everyone who walks in.
Utsav dates
September 14 – 18, 2026
Darshan 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM daily
- Parking
- Free on-site parking, with overflow on King St E
- Accessibility
- Step-free entrance and accessible washrooms
- Prasad
- Vegetarian mahaprasad served daily, free of charge
- Footwear
- Please remove footwear before entering the mandap
Coming for the first time?
The questions we are asked most often.
Do I need a ticket or an invitation?
No. Sarvajanik means public. The utsav is free and open to everyone, every day, with no registration of any kind.
I'm not Hindu. Can I still come?
Absolutely, and we would love to have you. Come for the music, the food, the colour, or simply out of curiosity. Someone will happily walk you through what is happening.
Can I bring my children?
Please do. Day 3 is built entirely around them, and children are welcome at every aarti and programme across all five days.
What should I wear?
Whatever you are comfortable in. Many wear traditional Indian clothing, many do not. Footwear comes off at the mandap entrance.
How can our business get involved?
Local businesses sponsor days, aartis and mahaprasad every year. Email us and we will send across the sponsorship details.