After dad dies, man marries in front of body

Villupuram: In a bizarre ritual, a dead man was dressed in finery, garlanded and propped up in a chair as his newly married son, his bride and the rest of the family gathered around to pose for the customary wedding photo at a village near Tindivanam in Villupuram on Friday.
The wedding had been set for September 2, but D Alexander, 31, decided to advance it when his father, Deivamani of Singanur village, died on Friday. Alexander and Annapurnani, 27, both teachers at a private school in Mailam, tied the knot in the evening and posted the photo that went viral on social media.
The marriage was scheduled to be held at the Mailam Subramaniya Swamy temple, but when Deivamani died, Alexander asked his bride’s family to let them get married in front of his father’s body.
“We are not sure about the reception which is scheduled for next month, but ‘we solemnized the marriage as per Alexander wishes. We planned to give a decent burial to Deivamani by Saturday,” said Mohan Sundar, a close relative of Alexander.