Friends and family of Shivam Munda, a seven-year-old Santhal Indian girl from Bihar province, held three days of traditional celebrations and festivities after Shivam married a dog.
Indian media reported that girl’s upper teeth came in before her lower teeth did, which in Santhal culture is a very bad omen. The remedy for this particular bad omen is apparently to get married to a dog. The girl’s father, Kundan Munda, said his daughter wed the stray dog only to "remove the evil eye" — somehow the dog carries the curse away with it. Evidently, the dog wedding is not legally binding, as Mr. Munda noted that it would not prevent his daughter from marrying a human man later in life.
However, it did provide an occasion for the traditional three days of celebration that are part of Santhal wedding rituals.