An Indian man married a female dog in a traditional Hindu ceremony. He said he chose to do this as an attempt to get rid of a curse which he believes was inflicted on him because he had previously stoned two other dogs to death.

The man’s name is P. Selvakumar and the so-called “bride” is a sari-draped former stray named Selvi. Selvi was chosen by the man’s family members and according to the Hindu tradition she was bathed and clothed for the ceremony Sunday at a Hindu temple in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, the Hindustan Times newspaper wrote.

The 33-year-old Indian talked to the reporters and said that fifteen years ago he stoned two dogs to death and hung their bodies from a tree. He had been suffering ever since and he believes that he was cursed for his deed.

"After that my legs and hands got paralyzed and I lost hearing in one ear," he said for the Indian news paper.  

According to the paper, Selvakumar was told by an astrologer that the only way he could cure his maladies was the wedding. However, the news paper did not say whether the man’s health changed for the good.

This case isn’t a first in the rural parts of India were people are very superstitious. Weddings between dogs and other animals have been organized before as the locals believe such ceremonies can ward off certain curses.

The picture in the paper showed Selvakumar sitting next to the female dog. The bride was wearing an orange sari and a flower garland. After the ceremony was performed, Selvakumar and his relatives had a feast, while the dog got a bun.