Varithon 2026

Every year, Maharashtra witnesses one of its largest and most significant traditions — the Wari, where millions of devotees from across the state come together and embark on a remarkable journey to Pandharpur. This journey is much more than a pilgrimage; it is a path of tyag (sacrifice), devotion, and unwavering faith in Lord Vitthal.However, every year, several challenges arise during the Wari, including traffic congestion, crowd management, temple queue management, accommodation for Warkaris, healthcare accessibility, emergency response, and many others. Recognizing these challenges, our Head of Department, Dr. Anjali Bhatlawande, envisioned a platform where technology and innovation could contribute meaningful solutions. Thus, Varithon 2026 was born.Under the leadership and guidance of Dr. Sachin Sakhare, Ms. Swati N. Deshmukh, and Dr. Anjali Bhatlawande, Varithon 2026 aims to create a meaningful impact and engage millions of people in its mission and journey.Building upon the successful organization of Toycathon 2026, Varithon 2026 aspires to reach even greater heights and inspire innovative solutions for one of Maharashtra's most cherished traditions. Tracks/Themes: This year, Varithon 2026 invites participants to submit projects under the following four tracks: 1. Health, Safety & Emergency Response Track Focused on healthcare, emergency management, public safety, and risk mitigation during the pilgrimage. 2. Crowd, Mobility & Resource Management Track Focused on crowd movement, transportation, logistics, infrastructure, and operational efficiency throughout the Wari. 3. Pilgrim Experience & Temple Management Track Focused on improving the overall experience of Warkaris before, during, and after reaching Pandharpur and visiting the temple. 4. Open Innovation Track This track encourages participants to identify and solve any challenge related to the Wari that is not explicitly covered under the above themes. Our Suggestion to Participants: We strongly encourage participants to experience the Wari firsthand, interact with stakeholders, understand the on-ground challenges, and develop practical, scalable, and impactful solutions for Varithon 2026. Why Participate? Prize pool worth ₹1,00,000. Opportunity to showcase your solutions directly to industry leaders, academicians, and government stakeholders. Chance to transform your idea into a startup or social venture. Networking opportunities with students from across India. Opportunity to work on real-world problems impacting millions of people. Certificates for participation and progression through competition stages. Recognition at a national-level innovation platform. Timeline at a Glance: Team Registration Opens: 15 June 2026 Team Registration Closes: 30 July 2026 Stage 1 Report Submission: 18 July 2026 – 31 July 2026 Stage 1 Results: 5 August 2026 Stage 2 Video Submission (3–5 Minutes): 6 August 2026 – 16 August 2026 Stage 2 Results: 22 August 2026 Stage 3 Grand Finale Hackathon: 28–29 August 2026 at MMCOE Campus, Pune Team Formation Guidelines: Team size must be between 2 and 5 members. Participants must be undergraduate students aged 17–25 years. Every team must appoint a Team Leader, who will serve as the primary point of contact (POC) for all communications from the Varithon team. Once registration is completed, changes to the team composition will not be permitted. Inter-college, inter-department, and inter-year teams are allowed. Registration Details: Registration is completely free of cost. Participation certificates and stage-wise achievement certificates will be provided. Only the shortlisted 50–100 teams qualifying for Stage 3 will be required to pay a nominal convenience fee to support arrangements for the 24-hour Hackathon at the MMCOE Campus. Details regarding the fee will be communicated to shortlisted teams. No report, presentation, or project submission is required while filling out this registration form. This form is solely intended for collecting team formation details. Upon successful registration, each team will receive a unique Team ID (will take a few days), which will serve as the official identity of the team throughout the Varithon 2026 journey. Important Links: Brochure: https://canva.link/o6vdzq9l1hsl22r  Rulebook: https://canva.link/rhdadt4c0r2vu78 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mmcoe_varithon2026  Report Template: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mv0UOx1WaZQ4-4GSwNn8OWdrjiYSNAHN/view  For Queries: Atharva Chaudhari: +91 97678 11342 Kalyani Bhandari: +91 98221 45349 Urja Doshi: +91 91686 99716