In This Maharashtrian Village, The 'Newest Son-in-law' Rides A Donkey To Celebrate Holi

Holi is a highly anticipated festival in India as it welcomes the spring season into our lives. And as the festival of colour is upon us, all of us are geared up with our gulaal (play with consent only).

TOI

Why is Holi celebrated?

It is celebrated as a tribute to the eternal love of Lord Krishna and Radha. It also marks the arrival of the spring harvest season and the end of winter in the country.

Dhulandi or rangwali Holi is celebrated on the Purnima Tithi (full moon day) of Phalgun month. This year, Holika Dahan will be observed on March 17 and Dhulandi will be celebrated on March 18.

To mark the celebration of the festival, a village in the district of Maharashtra has a bizarre tradition that has continued for almost a century - The 'newest son-in-law' in the village gets a donkey ride and clothes of his choice in the Beed district of Maharashtra. The ritual is followed in Vida village in Kej tehsil of the district.

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So, what exactly happens during this ritual? Well, it takes three to four days to identify the newest son-in-law of the village. The villagers keep an eye on him to make sure he does not go missing on Holi in order to skip the donkey ride which is a primary part of the age-old tradition.

How did the Holi tradition start in this village?

The tradition was started by a resident named Anandrao Deshmukh who was highly regarded by villagers. It was started with Anandrao's son-in-law and has continued since then which was more than 90 years ago. The ride starts from the middle of the village and ends at the Hanuman Temple at 11 am. The chosen son-in-law of the village is given clothes of his choice.

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Did you know that there are several types of Holi celebrated in India? There are - Lathmar Holi, Khadi Holi, Hola Mohalla, Basant Utsav and Dol Jatra, Shigmo, etc.

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