An Indian diamond tycoon has thrown a mass wedding for 236 fatherless brides and given each of them gifts worth thousands of pounds.

In India the ritual of kanyadaan - giving away one's daughter in marriage - is a cherished tradition but many young women, especially from impoverished communities, are deprived of it.

But multi-millionaire Mahesh Savani has come to the rescue, paying for a huge wedding in Gujarat yesterday and performing kanyadaan for all of the brides.

The mass wedding (pictured) took place in Surat, Gujarat. Mahesh Savani said the women, whose families were all too poor to finance their weddings, saw him as their foster father

A helicopter hired by a local TV channel took his picture of the enormous wedding in Gujarat

His own two sons also got married at the same ceremony, making a total of 238 brides.

Mr Savani, who made his fortune in the diamond polishing industry in the city of Surat, said he believed giving away the brides was a blessing from God.

It is not the first time he had done it and he said: 'With Sunday's mass wedding, I have become a proud father to have performed the kanyadaan of over 700 girls.'

Video footage, taken by a helicopter hired by a local TV station, showed the enormous wedding with hundreds of brides in colourful saris and ornate jewellery.

Although kanyadaan is a Hindu ritual, five of the brides were from the Muslim community and one was a Christian.

Mahesh Savani (pictured, left, with one of his sons) paid for the mass wedding. Among those getting married was his cousin Jay (right) who wed his bride, Divya

The tycoon also gifted gold, sofas and beds, worth 500,000 rupees (£6,000), to each of the brides.

Savani began his kanyadaan campaign in 2008 when one of his employees died days before his daughter's wedding.

Indian weddings are famous for their sumptuous feasts, decorated horses, bands and dancers to entertain hundreds or even thousands of guests.

Fathers in India traditionally pay for their daughters' weddings, which can mean that if a bride's father has died or is extremely poor, her chances of getting married are next to nil.

Mr Savani's son Mitul (centre) marries his bride Janki (right) in the presence of a Hindu priest. Among the fatherless brides were five from the Muslim community and one Christian

There were literally thousands of wedding guests at the mass ceremony near Surat