A family in Barwad village, Belagavi district, Karnataka, celebrated the birth of their granddaughter with a grand public procession on 28 April, sending a powerful message against gender discrimination and female feticide. The event drew widespread admiration from residents and has since sparked conversations about changing social attitudes toward the birth of girl children.

The Celebration

Social worker Sambhaji Thorwat and his wife Suman Thorwat organised the festive procession to welcome their newborn granddaughter, named Vaibhavi. The procession commenced from the Lakshmi Temple in Ganganagar and made its way to the Thorwat residence, accompanied by the rhythmic beats of traditional instruments — halgi, ghumke, and zhanj. Streets were decorated with rangoli, flower petals were showered on the mother and child, and fireworks lit up the occasion.

Following the ceremonial gruhapravesh, jalebis were distributed across the neighbourhood as a gesture of joy and community celebration.

The Moment That Surprised Onlookers

Initially, many residents in the locality assumed the elaborate celebration was for the birth of a boy. Upon learning that the festivities were in honour of a girl child, onlookers expressed visible surprise — and then admiration. Several people spontaneously joined the procession in a show of support, turning the family's private gesture into a community statement.

What the Family Said

Grandmother Suman Thorwat said the family believed the newborn's arrival was akin to the blessings of Goddess Mahalakshmi entering their home. Speaking on the occasion, Sambhaji Thorwat said the celebration was deliberately organised to counter the stigma often associated with the birth of girls in rural communities.

He stressed that daughters must be valued equally, noting that in a country where Goddesses Mahalakshmi, Durga, and Bharat Mata are revered, girl children too deserve to be welcomed with pride. He also raised concerns over the continuing practice of female feticide, arguing that with proper education and values, daughters can become role models for future generations.

Why This Matters

India's skewed sex ratio at birth — a persistent challenge across several states — reflects deep-rooted son preference, particularly in rural and semi-urban belts. Initiatives like the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign have attempted to shift public attitudes, but grassroots actions by ordinary families often carry more immediate social weight. This is precisely the kind of community-level symbolism that advocacy groups argue can normalise the celebration of girl children in ways that government schemes alone cannot.

The Thorwat family said their initiative was meant to inspire others in society to celebrate the birth of girls with equal enthusiasm — and judging by the response in Barwad village, it appears to have done exactly that.