7th Marathi-Malayali Ethnic Fest concludes in Mumbai

The seventh edition of the Marathi-Malayali Ethnic Fest concluded with grand success at the Nehru Science Centre in Worli, Mumbai on Saturday (February 28, 2026) marking a significant milestone in celebrating the cultural harmony between Kerala and Maharashtra.

Jointly organised by the All Mumbai Malayali Association (AMMA) and the Nehru Science Centre under the Union Ministry of Culture, the event showcased a vibrant fusion of traditions, bringing together thousands of students and artists to strengthen national integration through art and literature.

The festival was formally inaugurated by Prof. Ravindra Kulkarni, Vice-Chancellor of Mumbai University, who noted that such cross-cultural exchanges are vital for the social fabric of Mumbai and provide the energy necessary for national unity. Umesh Kumar Rustagi, director of Nehru Science Centre, highlighted that while science seeks truth, art expresses beauty, making them inseparable facets of human progress.

Festival director and president of AMMA, Jojo Thomas, a prominent socio-cultural leader, described the event as a sacred mission to reinforce India’s diversity. Reflecting on the overwhelming response, Mr. Thomas said: “The massive turnout we witnessed…underscores the growing prestige of this event. Due to the unprecedented crowd and logistical constraints, we had to follow a ‘first-come, first-serve’ policy, and we regret that we could not accommodate every single aspirant this year. However, we are committed to expanding the festival’s scale in the coming years to ensure wider participation.”

The three-day extravaganza featured iconic art forms such as Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam, and Oppana from Kerala, alongside Maharashtra’s Lavani, Koli dance, and Gondhal. A major highlight was the multilingual poetry symposium, moderated by Sulabha Chavan and Suresh Varma, featuring over 40 poets. Academic discourses on Malayalam and Hindi literature by P.C.P. Krishnakumar and Ujjwala Luktuke further enriched the event.