Maharashtra family welcomes baby girl with grand procession after 200-year wait
A family in Maharashtra's Beed district has celebrated the birth of a baby girl with an elaborate procession, marking what it described as a long-awaited moment after nearly 200 years without a girl being born into the family.
The Dahifale family in Parli organised a grand welcome for newborn Gargi and her mother after they were discharged from the hospital.
The mother and baby were taken home in a flower-decorated chariot as family members and locals joined the celebrations, with drums and cymbals accompanying the procession.
WATCH: A girl child born into Beed’s Dahiphale family has brought extraordinary joy after relatives said no girl had been born in the family for nearly 200 years. The newborn was taken home from hospital in a decorated chariot amid drums, fireworks and sweets. pic.twitter.com/aBDNlYA9Df
— Varad Bhatkhande | Journalist (@VaradBhatkhande) September 2, 2026
The family said the celebration was a way of marking the arrival of a daughter after generations of waiting.
‘Great fortune to have a daughter’
Gargi's father, grandfather and grandmother expressed their happiness over the newborn's arrival.
Gargi's grandfather, Limbaji Dahifale, whose native village is Kolwadi in Maharashtra's Latur district, said the birth fulfilled a long-standing wish in the family.
“It is a great fortune to have a daughter in the family. For so many years, we had the regret of not having a daughter, and today that has been fulfilled,” he told India Today.
The family said no girl had been born into the Dahifale family for around 200 years.
‘Lakshmi has come to our home’
Gargi's grandmother, Surekha Dahifale, described the family's happiness at welcoming the newborn.
“We are very happy that Lakshmi has come to our home today,” she was quoted as saying by NDTV.
The family treated the newborn like a princess, with the special procession becoming a celebration for residents in the area as well.
‘Joy of having a daughter is different’
Gargi's father said the arrival of a daughter brought a unique sense of happiness to the family.
“People usually wish for a son, but the feeling and joy of having a daughter is different. Daughters are more attached to their fathers. We will raise our daughter like a flower,” he said.
Family hopes celebration sends a message
The Dahifale family said the elaborate welcome was not only about celebrating their own happiness but also about sending a wider message.
They said the birth of a daughter should be seen as a moment of pride and joy and celebrated with the same enthusiasm traditionally associated with the birth of a son.
For the Dahifale family, Gargi's arrival has turned a generations-long wait into a memorable celebration.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
