Man marries stray dog to break 15-year curse

An Indian man has married a dog in a Hindu ceremony - to atone for stoning two other dogs to death.

The man, known as Mr Selvakumar, believed he had been cursed by the killings 15 years ago, and wanted to repair the damage done.

An astrologer told him the only way to remove the curse would be to marry a female dog.

The former stray dog named Selvi - now officially known as Mrs Selvakumar - was chosen by the man's family, bathed and dressed in a sari for the celebrations.

Celebration time: The wedding was followed with a family feast - while the bride was given a bun

The ceremony was carried out at a Hindu temple in the southern state of Tamil Nadu on Sunday.

Selvakumar, 33, said he had been suffering since he stoned two dogs to death and hung their bodies from a tree 15 years ago.

"After that my legs and hands got paralyzed and I lost hearing in one ear," he told the Hindustan Times.

Happy ever after: Selvakumar with his new wife Selvi

The paper said an astrologer had told Selvakumar the wedding was the only way he could cure the maladies. It did not say whether his situation had improved since the wedding.

The paper showed a picture of Selvakumar sitting next to the dog, which was wearing an orange sari and a flower garland.

The paper said the groom and his family then had a feast, while the dog was given a bun.