Indian marriage rituals

Indians have a bunch of bizarre and weird marriage rituals whose meaning no one seems to understand. Some may consider them really superstitious while others really believe in them. These human-animal marriages are not really recognized by the government, and are probably illegal, but the superstitious villagers still keep the custom alive.

1. Young woman marrying a dog

In June 2003, a 9 year old girl of the Santal tribe of Khanyhan was formally married to a dog, in order to ward off a bad omen. More than 100 guests attended the weeding, they danced to the beating of drums and drank home-made liquor. Tribal elders mentioned that she was free to remarry a human in future as an adult without a divorce, and NEBO thinks that the dog is also allowed to see other dogs if it wants.

In September 2014, Mangli Munda, a young Indian 18 year old girl from Jharkhand decided to marry Sheru, a stray dog. The ceremony was organized by the village elders to ward off the bad luck she might face in her life. If the cursed woman marries a man first, it would bring destruction to her family as well as the community.

2. Man marrying a bitch

By bitch, I mean literally a bitch, you know, a female dog.

In November 2007, Selva Kumar, a 33 year old man married Selvi, a female dog as an act of atonement because he believed that he was cursed for stoning two other dogs to death. His hands and legs got paralyzed and he lost hearing in one ear all because of the curse on him after he stoned two dogs to death and hung their bodies from a tree 15 years ago.

3. Marrying Peepal Tree or a clay pot

This is also a common custom practiced in India and even actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan also went through this practice before getting married to Abhishek Bachchan. According to some Hindu communities, a woman should marry a Peepal or Banana tree before she ties the knot with her fiancé in order to offset the evil influence of Manglik dosh (something unfavourable to a marriage, related to the astrological condition when you were born). This is in cases where the bride possesses the Manglik dosh while the groom is a non-manglik.

The same effect can apparently be achieved by marrying a clay pot and then breaking it after the ritual is completed. The clay pot is also used as a placeholder where the groom has not yet arrived and the Muhurtham (auspicious time) is passing.

4. Frog Marriages

In the hot summer months when people need the monsoon rain the most, this ritual is performed in order to urge the lord Indra (the rain god) to shower the parched earth.

The wedding of frogs is to show that the frogs come out during the rainy season and welcome lord Indra with their croaking. The croaking of the frogs is symbolic of the formal start to the monsoon showers.

5. Leaving it to a fowl

Among the Angamis (a Nagaland tribe), if the young man falls in love with a girl, he must tells his father, who in turn sends a friend to see if the girl's parents approve. The girl's father will test the proposal by strangling a fowl and watch the way in which it crosses its legs when dying. The match comes to an end imediatelt if the legs are placed in an inauspicious amnner. Otherwise, the girl will be informed.

The marriage isn't a done deal yet, until 3 days later. If the girl has an inauspicious dream in these 3 days, the wedding should be called off.

6. Marrying a snake

In June 2006, an Indian lady from Atala village of Orissa’s Khurda district fell in love with a snake and then married the snake in accordance with Hindu marriage rituals.

She and her community believed that this act would bring good luck, and happiness would be showered by the Snake God. More than 2000 people participated in this celebration where the lady married the snake, and during the reception, a brass model of the snake was kept so that the guests could feel comfortable.

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