Maharashtra’s 114-year-old Vithabai Patil, who rode on horseback to cast her vote, passes away

Thane: Vithabai Damodar Patil, a resident of Koparigaon in Maharashtra’s Thane district, passed away early on Saturday at the age of 114, her family said, claiming she was the oldest living woman in the state.

There has been no official confirmation of her age or status from authorities.

According to her family, Vithabai was born in 1911 in Shilgaon, near Kalyan in Thane district. Over the years, she became well known in her village for her unwavering commitment to exercising her democratic right.

“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,” recalled her son Dilip Patil.

Her grandson added, “She wanted to vote in the coming Thane municipal elections, but destiny had other plans.”

Vithabai is survived by six children, six daughters-in-law, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Despite her age, her family said her memory remained sharp until the end.

World’s oldest living person

The world’s oldest living person is reportedly 116-year-old Ethel Caterham, a resident of Hallmark Lakeview Care Home in Lightwater, Surrey. She was officially recognised as the world’s oldest living person in April 2025.

(With PTI inputs)