<p>Beed: While much of India celebrated Holi with vibrant colours and playful splashes of water, the residents of Vida village in Beed district of Maharashtra upheld a 90-year-old tradition- a ceremonial donkey ride for a son-in-law.</p>.<p>This unique custom begins days before the festival with what locals fondly call a "manhunt" for a son-in-law. This year, the "honour" fell to Shivaji Galphade, originally from Dongaon in Kaij tehsil, who settled in Vida after his marriage.</p>.<p>"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 anticipated annual ritual embraced by the entire village," a resident said.</p>.<p>According to villagers, a week before Holi, groups of village youths form search teams to identify eligible sons-in-law residing in or visiting Vida.</p>.<p>Once selected, the chosen one is kept under friendly watch to ensure he doesn’t escape before the big day.</p>.Holi 2026: Experts share the golden mantras to protect your skin.<p>On the morning of Holi or Dhulivandan, 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 the village lanes as residents cheer and celebrate.</p>.<p>Despite the satirical nature of the ride, the tradition is rooted in communal bonding rather than malice.</p>.<p>Before the procession commenced on Tuesday, participants paid tribute to a portrait of the late Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.</p>.<p>The donkey ride is followed by a formal ceremony of honour. Traditionally, the village presents the son-in-law with a new set of clothes, a saree, and a gold ring. However, due to the recent surge in gold prices, the village committee decided to stick to traditional attire as a gift this year, a villager added.</p>.<p>"I never imagined I would be chosen for the donkey ride this year," said Galphade, who works as a daily wage labourer.</p>.<p>This is a local tradition which I accepted in the spirit of the festival, he said. </p>
<p>Beed: While much of India celebrated Holi with vibrant colours and playful splashes of water, the residents of Vida village in Beed district of Maharashtra upheld a 90-year-old tradition- a ceremonial donkey ride for a son-in-law.</p>.<p>This unique custom begins days before the festival with what locals fondly call a "manhunt" for a son-in-law. This year, the "honour" fell to Shivaji Galphade, originally from Dongaon in Kaij tehsil, who settled in Vida after his marriage.</p>.<p>"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 anticipated annual ritual embraced by the entire village," a resident said.</p>.<p>According to villagers, a week before Holi, groups of village youths form search teams to identify eligible sons-in-law residing in or visiting Vida.</p>.<p>Once selected, the chosen one is kept under friendly watch to ensure he doesn’t escape before the big day.</p>.Holi 2026: Experts share the golden mantras to protect your skin.<p>On the morning of Holi or Dhulivandan, 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 the village lanes as residents cheer and celebrate.</p>.<p>Despite the satirical nature of the ride, the tradition is rooted in communal bonding rather than malice.</p>.<p>Before the procession commenced on Tuesday, participants paid tribute to a portrait of the late Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.</p>.<p>The donkey ride is followed by a formal ceremony of honour. Traditionally, the village presents the son-in-law with a new set of clothes, a saree, and a gold ring. However, due to the recent surge in gold prices, the village committee decided to stick to traditional attire as a gift this year, a villager added.</p>.<p>"I never imagined I would be chosen for the donkey ride this year," said Galphade, who works as a daily wage labourer.</p>.<p>This is a local tradition which I accepted in the spirit of the festival, he said. </p>