Bride and groom were dressed in new clothes and after the ceremony, sweets were distributed to the newlyweds and the guests

Mysuru villagers find lonely donkey a bride, priest officiates union

MYSURU: The bride was brought kicking and braying to the marriage ceremony. She came from a village far away and was a little nervous. The guests were more worried about the four-year-old groom though – he has a history of violence, biting in particular. The match, the villagers of Hura hope, will calm him and turn him into the docile creature he was before.The wedding went off well on Thursday and Hura’s solitary male donkey finally has a female companion. Enthusiastic villagers held a traditional ceremony officiated by a priest, even tying a mangalsutra on the female donkey. Bride and groom were dressed in new clothes and after the ceremony, sweets were distributed to the newlyweds and the guests. For now, the couple seem to be getting along.The groom wasn’t violent, or single, until recently. He was with a female donkey and all was well. In July, a leopard killed the female donkey and the sudden loneliness seems to have affect ed him. Villagers say he turned violent and began attacking people. “Many were bitten by the donkey which was gentle before. So we came to the conclusion that the death of the female donkey had upset him and if another female donkey is brought, he may become normal again,” said one of the wedding organisers.The villagers of Hura, around 23km from the temple town of Nanjangud , began looking for a suitable partner in August. They found one recently in Chamarajanagar district, some 60km away. “We collected money from the villagers and found a donkey in Dasuru village of Chamarajanagar district,” a resident told TOI. As luck would have it, the owner offered to give them the donkey for free when he heard their story. “We brought it to the village last week,” the local said.“But we had collected nearly Rs 20,000 to buy the female donkey. Since we got it for free, we decided to organise the wedding. A local priest agreed to solemnise the event. Some villagers bought clothes and the sacred thread. After the marriage, we distributed sweets,” he said.