An 18-year-old Indian
girl has married a stray dog as part of a tribal ritual designed to ward off an
evil spell.
Mangli Munda, from a
remote village in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, wed the canine in a
lavish ceremony.
The wedding was
hastily organised by village elders after a local guru led Mangli's parents to
believe that the teenager possessed ill-luck and that marrying a man would bring
destruction to the family and her community.
Ruff deal: An 18-year-old girl in India (pictured) was
ordered by village elders to marry a dog (left) to lift a bad-luck curse that's
hanging over her
Ceremony: The dog, Sheru, a stray, falls asleep during the
lavish ceremony
The baffled dog,
Sheru, a stray found by the girl's father, was brought to the wedding in a
chauffeur driven car and welcomed by revellers.
Mangli, who has not
been to school, said she was not happy to wed a dog, but insisted that it will
help change her fortunes.
The hesitant bride
said: 'I am marrying a dog because the village elders believe that my evil spell
will be passed on to the dog.
'After that is done,
the man I will marry will have a long life.'
Mangli's father Sri
Amnmunda agreed.
He said: 'The village
elders told us that we should organise the wedding as soon as we can. We had to
make sure that the evil spell is destroyed.
Tradition: Rituals being performed during the wedding in
the remote village
Good turn-out: Around 70 relatives attended the
ceremony in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand
'And marrying a dog
is the only way to get rid of the bad luck.'
And amazingly, this
is not the first time that a local girl has wed a dog in the village.
Sri added: 'Many
weddings like this have taken place in our village and also the other
neighbouring villages. This is a custom that we thoroughly believe
in.'
According to the
village's customs, the marriage will not affect Mangli's life, and she will be
free to marry again later without divorcing the dog.
The big day: Mangli Munda poses with her father, Sri
Amnmunda, and her stray dog husband
'My villagers say
that many girls like me have followed this ritual and they have gotten rid of
their evil spells and are living happy lives now,' said Mangli.
'I will also be free
to marry a man of my dreams after after the evil spell is over.'
At the wedding
ceremony, people danced to traditional drumming, while around 70 relatives and
local villagers attended the wedding.
VIP: The bride's father carries Sheru in his friend's car
on the wedding day
'Apart from the fact
that the groom is a dog, we followed all customs. We respect the dog as much as
we would respect a normal groom,' said Mangli's mother Seems Devi.
'We had to spend
money on this wedding in the same way as we would in a normal wedding. But that
is the only way we can get rid of her bad luck and ensure the benevolence of the
village.'
Now with the marriage
ceremony over, Mangli has to take care of the dog and raise him as a pet for the
next few months.
Mangli added: 'I will
marry a man one day. It is the dream of every girl to marry a prince charming.
So I am also waiting for my prince.'
DAILYMAIL.CO.UK
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