Thane woman dies at 114; family claims she was Maharashtra's oldest

Thane: Vithabai Damodar Patil, a resident of Koparigaon in Thane district, died early Saturday morning at the age of 114, her family said, claiming that she was the oldest living woman of Maharashtra.

There was, however, no official confirmation of her status as such.

According to her family, Vithabai was born in 1911 at Shilgaon near Kalyan in the district.

She was known in her village for never missing an election even in her old age. "Every year she would arrive at the polling station on horseback. Voters in the queue would pause to greet her, and journalists would capture her pictures," said her son Dilip Patil.

"She wanted to vote in the coming Thane municipal elections, but destiny had other plans," her grandson said.

She had six children, six daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Despite her advanced age, her memory was sharp, family members said.