Daijiworld Media Network - Beed

Beed, Mar 3: While much of the country celebrated Holi with colours and water splashes, residents of Vida village in Maharashtra’s Beed district upheld a 90-year-old tradition — a ceremonial donkey ride for a son-in-law.

The unique custom begins days before the festival with what villagers fondly describe as a “manhunt” for a son-in-law. This year, the “honour” fell to Shivaji Galphade, originally from Dongaan in Kaij tehsil, who settled in Vida after marriage.

According to locals, the tradition dates back nearly nine decades and was started by a villager named Anantrao Deshmukh. What began as a light-hearted prank — parading his own son-in-law on a donkey — gradually evolved into an eagerly awaited annual ritual embraced by the entire village.

A week before Holi, groups of village youths form search teams to identify eligible sons-in-law residing in or visiting Vida. Once selected, the chosen individual is kept under friendly watch to ensure he does not leave the village before the big day.

On Holi or Dhulivandan morning, amid drumbeats and showers of colour, the son-in-law is ceremoniously seated on a donkey. Wearing a garland made of old footwear, he is paraded through village lanes as residents cheer and celebrate.

Despite its satirical appearance, villagers emphasise that the tradition is rooted in camaraderie and festive spirit rather than insult. Before the procession began on Tuesday, participants paid tribute to a portrait of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

The donkey ride is followed by a formal honour ceremony. Traditionally, the village presents the son-in-law with a new set of clothes, a saree and a gold ring. However, owing to the recent rise in gold prices, the village committee decided to limit the gift to traditional attire this year.

“I never imagined I would be chosen for the donkey ride this year,” said Galphade, a daily wage labourer. “This is a local tradition which I accepted in the spirit of the festival,” he added.