For 7-year-old Mukesh Kerayi, the horoscopes held doom and
gloom. It suggested his first wife will die young, and as if maternal
burdens weren't enough for his young shoulders to bear, he grew a tooth
in the upper part of his mouth, a most ominous omen in his hometown of
Jharkhand, India.
It was with this in mind that his family arranged a
marriage to the fated first wife, a dog, that way, there'll be no teary
eyes when the bitch passes on. It is said that every dog has its day and
for this dog, it was no puppy affair.
For the big day, the family dressed the dog in a bridal outfit and the village turned out for the celebrations just like a normal wedding.
They danced and cheered as though it was Mukesh's real life wedding, it was claimed.
His grandfather, Ashok Kumar Leyangi, 43, said: 'We believe the marriage
will ward off any bad omen attached to the boy. This is traditional
practice in our tribal community and
we still believe in these old customs. We feel that it is our adult
responsibility to keep our children safe and happy this way.'
These marriages usually take place between January 15 and January 21 each year.
The government in India is still trying to educate rural
and tribal communities that these acts of superstition are wrong but
despite these efforts, many of the region's tribal communities still
follow horoscopes and other superstitions religiously.
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