To Lift Curse, Man Marries Dog
Superstition can drive some people to extreme lengths. For Selvakumar, a 33 year old farmer in India, his superstition led him to marry a dog!
After stoning two dogs to death and hanging them from a tree over fifteen years ago, Selvakumar claimed to have lost feeling in his hands and feet and became partially deaf in one ear, which he believes is a curse due to his sins. After consulting doctors, they could not determine the cause of these ailments nor find any first aid supplies to help releave the pain, so Selvakumar decided to seek alternative forms of treatment. Turning to an astrologer, Selvakumar was told that the only way to atone for his sins of killing two dogs was to marry one.
The choice of brides was a stray female dog named Selvi. Before marrying Selvi, Selvakumar and his family bathed her and dressed her in an orange sari (the traditional garb for Indian women) and a floral garland. The ceremony was taken very seriously, with a Hindu priest conducting the ceremony in a temple with many guests, both friends and family.
Selvi apparently attempted to flee the wedding after being startled by the large crowd, but after a small search she was quickly returned. After the ceremony, the family had a rather large feast, while poor little Selvi only received a bun.
Although the marriage was designed to lift the curse, Selvakumar still intends to marry a proper woman once he finds the right girl. It may seem like a large sham, but these types of things are taken very seriously in India, and specifically by Selvakumar himself.
This is not as rare as some may believe. In India, it is not uncommon for people to marry dogs to lift curses similar to the one experienced by Selvakumar.
It is unknown if Selvakumar has regained feeling in his hands and feet, or if his hearing had returned.