Mumbai News: City’s Oldest Ayyappa Pooja Mahotsav Marks 76th Year, Concludes With Grand Procession In Matunga

The three-day Ayyappa Pooja Mahotsav organised by Ayyappa Bhakthi Samithi, Matunga, concluded with a grand procession featuring Ayyappan Thullal and Udukku Pattu, marking the 76th year of Mumbai’s oldest Lord Ayyappa celebration.

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Manoj Ramakrishnan Updated: Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 11:58 PM IST
Devotees take part in a grand procession marking the conclusion of the 76th Ayyappa Pooja Mahotsav at Napoo Garden in Matunga | File Photo

Devotees take part in a grand procession marking the conclusion of the 76th Ayyappa Pooja Mahotsav at Napoo Garden in Matunga | File Photo

Mumbai, Jan 14: The three-day Ayyappa Pooja Mahotsav, organised by the Ayyappa Bhakthi Samithi, Matunga, concluded on Wednesday with a grand procession of the Lord featuring Udukku Pattu and Ayyappan Thullal.

City’s oldest Ayyappa celebration

The Matunga mandal is the city’s oldest Lord Ayyappa celebration, having been started by hotelier V. Krishnan Nair. This was the 76th year of the festival. The celebrations are now led by his son, Gopalkrishnan Nair. The event was organised at Napoo Garden, Telang Road.

Cultural programmes held

On January 12, the first day of the festival, devotees listened to bhajans by Hari Bhajan Mandal, led by Viraj Parte.
On Tuesday, singer Sairam Iyer presented a music programme.

Grand procession marks finale

The festival ended on Wednesday with a grand procession featuring the traditional Ayyappan Thullal dance and Udukku Pattu songs led by Machhad Subramanian and party.

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Significance of Makaravilakku

‘Makaravilakku’, or the Makara lamp, marks the climax of the annual two-month-long pilgrimage season to the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala. After the aarati, the ‘Makara Jyothi’, regarded by devotees as a divine light, appeared on the eastern horizon above Ponnambalamedu, a hillock located across a valley from the shrine.

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Published on: Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 11:58 PM IST

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