The diversity of India often surprises its citizens by the vast variety of customs and rituals that constitute it. Once such story of an unusual ritual comes from some villages in Gujarat where grooms are not allowed to attend their own wedding.
Instead, on their wedding day, their unmarried sisters or any other unmarried woman from the groom's family is supposed to act as a stand-in for the groom. The man himself is supposed to stay at home, away from the ceremony, along with his mother.
The custom is followed by tribals living in at least three villages in Gujarat, Surkheda, Sanada and Ambal a report in news agency ANI stated.
According to villagers, every time a couple tried to break the tradition and marry against the ritual, the marriages have faced problems and have tended to not last long, be it due to conflict or death, strengthening the locals' belief in the necessity of the custom.
Folklore has it the that the male deities of the three villages in which the custom is followed were bachelors. The wedding ritual of not inviting the groom to their own wedding is to respect these bachelor deities. In doing so, the locals believe that the gods will protect the grooms from any danger in future.
According to the folklore, the male deities of the three villages where this custom is followed were bachelors and the villagers in order to show them respect keep their grooms at home, doing so they believe will protect their grooms from harm. The custom reflects the richness of tribal culture that still exists untouched by mainstream culture in India.