A village in Maharashtra’s Beed district on Tuesday continued its 90-year-old tryst with a Holi tradition in which the “newest son-in-law” gets a donkey ride and clothes of his choice at the end of it.
The donkey ride of Vida village in Beed’s Kej tehsil, some 125 kilometres from here, is a much-awaited item of Holi for people from near and far, said resident Angad Dethe. The ride gears up from the middle of the village and concludes at the Hanuman Temple at around 11 am.
“The newest son-in-law of the village is zeroed in on through a process that takes three to four days. The villagers then keep a watch to ensure he does not go missing on Holi so as to skip the donkey ride. This year, Vida village gave the honour to Dattatray Gaikwad,” local journalist Datta Deshmukh told PTI.
The tradition is believed to be about 90 yearsold, initiated by a resident Anandrao Deshmukh who was highly regarded by villagers. “The tradition started with Anandrao’s son-in-law and has continued since. I have also got a donkey ride when I came here newly married,” Angad Dethe was quoted in reports.
