Mumbai, May 18: A family in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, gifted 1.5 kg silver Kolhapuri slippers to their son-in-law as a tradition on the occasion of Adhikamasa. This unique gift, worth around Rs 4 lakh, is meant to keep the son-in-law’s memory alive.
Usually, when the son-in-law comes to his mother-in-law’s house, we see him gifting various dishes, new clothes or a gold ring. However, the gift given by a family in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, to their son-in-law has now caught the attention of the entire country.
Special tradition of Adhikamasa:
In some parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka, ‘Adhikamasa’ or ‘Purushottama Masa’ has special significance. The tradition of giving special gifts to the son-in-law during this time has been going on since ancient times. This family in Kolhapur decided to make this tradition memorable. This unique gift has been prepared with the intention of not forgetting the culture of his soil, even though the son-in-law is living abroad.
Chapali worth Rs 4 lakh:
The special feature of this silver Kolhapuri chapali is its weight and artwork. 1.5 kg of pure silver has been used to make this pair of chapali, which is about 9 inches long. As per the current market rate, the price of this chapali is more than Rs 4 lakh. Not only the price of silver, but thousands of rupees have been spent on the delicate carving on it.
8 days of hard work, amazing artwork:
This special chapali was made by Vikrant Mali, a renowned craftsman from Kolhapur. Speaking about this, he said, “First, I bought a traditional Kolhapuri chapali made of genuine leather, and using its design as a model, we molded it in silver. This chapali was prepared after working continuously for about 8 days. This is not just a gift, it is a beautiful work of art.”
A souvenir of soil for a son-in-law abroad:
According to the family that gave this unique gift, ‘Our son-in-law is working abroad. No matter how modern his life is there, we hope that the Kolhapuri slippers, a symbol of our Kolhapur pride, and the memory of the tradition here will always be with him.’
In this era where the price of gold and silver is skyrocketing, giving such an expensive gift for the love of a son-in-law has caused a huge debate on social media. While many are calling it a “royal gift”, others are praising this effort to preserve tradition.