Varithon 2026

Varithon 2026 is a national-level social innovation hackathon organized by Marathwada Mitra Mandal's College of Engineering (MMCOE), Pune. The hackathon encourages students to develop innovative technology solutions that address real-world challenges faced during Maharashtra's annual Wari pilgrimage, one of the country's largest religious gatherings.

Participants will research, validate, and build practical solutions to improve the Wari ecosystem through technology, innovation, and community impact.

Who Can Participate

• Undergraduate Students
• Postgraduate Students
• Engineering Students
• Management Students
• Arts, Commerce & Science Students
• Law Students
• Medical Students

Students from all recognized colleges and universities across India are eligible.

Team Size

• Min 2 – Max 5 Members

Problem Domains

Teams can propose innovative solutions for challenges such as:

• Crowd Management
• Traffic Management
• Temple Queue Management
• Healthcare & Emergency Response
• Accommodation for Warkaris
• Public Safety
• Smart Mobility
• Digital Services
• Social Innovation
• Open Innovation for the Wari Ecosystem

Hackathon Structure

Stage 1 – Problem Discovery Report

Teams must identify a genuine problem related to the Wari, conduct field research, validate the issue, and submit a detailed Problem Discovery Report explaining their proposed solution. Supporting evidence such as surveys, interviews, photographs, or field observations is encouraged.

Stage 2 – Video Pitch Round

Shortlisted teams will submit a 3–5 minute video presentation explaining their problem statement, solution approach, implementation strategy, expected impact, and prototype or mock-up (if available). Teams may also refine and resubmit their Problem Discovery Report.

Stage 3 – 24-Hour Offline Hackathon

Top 50–100 teams will be invited to the MMCOE campus for a 24-hour offline hackathon, where they will build working prototypes with guidance from industry experts, mentors, and academicians. Final evaluation will focus on innovation, technical implementation, scalability, usability, and real-world impact.

Timeline

• Registration Opens: 18-06-2026
• Registration Deadline: 19-07-2026
• Stage 1 – Problem Discovery Report: 18-07-2026 to 01-08-2026
• Stage 2 – Video Pitch Round: 06-08-2026 to 16-08-2026
• Grand Finale (24-Hour Hackathon): 28-08-2026 to 29-08-2026

Benefits

• Mentorship from industry experts and academicians
• Opportunity to build solutions for real societal challenges
• National-level recognition
• Networking with innovators and researchers
• Hands-on experience in research, design thinking, and prototype development
• Opportunity to present your solution before an expert evaluation panel
• Participation certificates for eligible teams