To fulfill wish of sick nonagenarian father, youth marries wooden effigy in Uttar Pradesh

Had the guests not been in the know of the facts, they would have taken it as any other normal Hindu wedding in which all the rituals, including the 'saptapadi' (going round the sacred fire seven times), were performed.

What, however, made the wedding unique was that the groom married a wooden effigy instead of a living bride.

The bizarre wedding was solemnised at Manakwar village in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj district, about 200 kilometres from here, on Tuesday.

According to the reports, 90-year old Shiv Mohan, a father of nine children, had been ailing for the past several years and he felt that he would not live long enough to witness the marriage of his last child, 32-year old Panch Raj.

Shiv Mohan had been pressing his son to get married but it could not materialised for one or the other reason, reports said.

Some local priests suggested that a mock wedding of Panch Raj be solemnised to fulfill the wish of the ailing father. Panch Raj was reluctant initially but later agreed after his nonagenarian father pleaded with him with tears in his eyes.

The 'wedding' was solemnised on Tuesday in the presence of a handful of guests in view of the restrictions owing to the outbreak of Coronavirus, reports said. A small feast was also organised on this occasion.

''I only wanted see him (Panch Raj) getting married... I know my days are numbered... I can now die happily,'' Shiv Mohan said.

The son was equally happy as he had fulfilled, what could be the last wish of his father.