Andhra family treats son-in-law to feast with 300 dishes

Visakhapatnam, Jan 16: A family in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli treated their son-in-law with 300 food items at a grand feast thrown on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

The family served a variety of dishes on the first visit of the son-in-law to their house after the marriage.

Gunda Sai, a rice merchant, and his wife wanted to make it a memorable occasion.

P. Devendra, who married Rishita last month, said he was surprised with the grand welcome and such a large number of dishes. He said every dish tasted different.

The dishes included biryani, zeera rice, fried rice, tomato rice, pulihora and dozens of sweets.

The mother-in-law said she worked hard for three days to prepare the dishes.

"We wanted to set an example by hosting the son-in-law in a grand manner. No one in Anakapalli has done this before," she said.

Treating or pampering sons-in-law by throwing royal feasts on Sankranti (Pedda Panduga) has been a tradition in many households in Andhra Pradesh. The tradition is common in undivided Godavari districts.

Last year, a family in Eluru had served 379 items to their son-in-law. A similar feast was thrown by a family in Narsapuram in 2022 when a family had treated their future son-in-law with 365 dishes.

It's not just about food served to sons-in-law. The families also present costly gifts to them. This year, in Amalapuram, a son-in-law made a grand entry into the town on his Rolls Royce, said to be worth Rs.12 crore.

The businessman from Chennai was visiting his in-laws on Sankranti. The costly car became the centre of attraction. The in-laws also accorded a grand welcome to him by bursting firecrackers and showering petals.