33-year-old P Selvakumar married stray pooch Selvi at a Hindu temple in the southern state of Tamil Nadu in a bid to atone for acts he committed in his earlier life. He told the Hindustan Times newspaper that he believed he had been cursed after stoning two dogs to death and hanging their bodies from a tree 15 years ago.

Since committing that cruel act, Selvakumar has suffered from paralysis in his legs and hands and lost hearing in one ear. He explained that a local astrologer told him that marrying a dog was the only way to cure his maladies. Deeply superstitious people in rural India sometimes organize weddings to dogs and other animals, believing it can ward off certain curses.

Members of Selvakumar’s family selected four-year-old stray bitch Selvi and bathed and clothed her prior to the ceremony. The bride looked resplendent in her orange sari and flower garland.

The reception was attended by some 200 guests. It was held for the newlyweds in the groom's house during which Selvi grew restless and ran away. However she was subsequently recaptured and returned to her husband who gave her milk and a bun to eat. The groom and his family then enjoyed a celebratory feast.

Selvakumar is not the first man to have hit the headlines for having romantic relations with animals. Last May, Sudanese man Charles Tombe was forced to marry a goat after village elders discovered him having sex with her.