Indian girl weds dog in puppy loveless marriage

July 14, 2000

By Jayanta Shaw

MOHANPUR, India, July 14 (Reuters) - A four-year old Indian girl has married

a stray dog in a traditional Hindu service -- and it wasn't a case of puppy

love at first sight.

The bizarre ceremony was prompted by an astrologer who told the girl's

father that the ceremony would transfer the evil effects of the planet

Saturn from the girl to the dog.

The girl, Anju, had suffered several illnesses and had fallen in ponds,

fractured bones and burnt her hand in the kitchen, the father, Subal

Karmakar, said.

``The astrologer said the evil effect of Saturn can be countered by marrying

the child to a dog,'' he said.

Anju was married on Monday with Hindu priests chanting hymns in front of 150

of the 250 residents in a village, a cluster of 15 huts amid paddy fields 60

km (35 miles) north of Calcutta.

Residents of the village, mostly illiterate, enjoyed the feast but ridiculed

the ceremony.

``He is superstitious, but why should I care if he wants to waste money and

give us a feast? I enjoyed the rice, meat, curd, lentil and sweets,'' said

Fakir Chand Durlab, Karmakar's neighbour.

Anju's father was unrepentant.

``I did the right thing for my child. My grandfather had arranged a marriage

of a relative with a dog 40 years ago and the remedy worked.''

Villagers said they enjoyed the sight of the girl garlanding the dog the way

a Hindu bride does. Villagers then helped the dog put a garland around the

bride with its paws.

The girl's bridal attire, the music and the menu at the feast matched a

traditional marriage ceremony, villagers said.

Police said they were aware of the ceremony but not bothered by it.

``Nobody has complained,'' said Satya Das Ganguly, who heads the local

police station. ``Nobody has been harmed and I don't think any law has been

violated.''

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