Woman in India Marries Dog to Ward Off Evil

Many people have asked for a hand in marriage, but what about a paw? This sounds like a whole new spin on the tradition of prearranged marriages in some countries.

In a remote part of India, young Mangli Munda is marrying a stray dog  to fight off evil spirits that her family believes she has. The dog was found by the woman's father. The big wedding was taken care of by the 18-year-old's parents, to the dismay of the wife-to-be. Munda wasn't pleased with her parents' selection of a groom, saying, "I am not happy with this marriage."

If you think Munda's father was solely to blame for this unusual arrangement, he wasn't. Munda’s mother was adamant about the need for her daughter to get hitched to the hound named Sheru. The pooch even arrived stylin' and profilin' as most grooms often do — chauffeured in a car. Munda's mother mentioned, "We have to spend money on this wedding. That is the only way we can get rid of her bad luck and ensure the benevolence of the village."

But Munda won't have to love and honor her husband all the days of her life. The relationship isn’t legally binding, which will probably keep this bride from going barking mad.

In this remote village in the eastern state of Jharkhand, the ceremony isn't unheard of. It’s just a tradition meant to ensure the longevity of a couple's marriage when Munda is eventually married to a human groom. And, hopefully, her next husband won't turn out to be a dog.