A mass child marriage ceremony in India has been captured on camera - showing young brides crying as they are forced to wed.

The heartbreaking video was taken in Chittorgarh, a city in Rajasthan, northern India, a state in the country that is prevalent for child marriages.

In one clip a young girl of around ten-years-old is desperately crying and pleading for help as her father drags her around the customary ceremony.

Cruel: A mass child marriage ceremony in India has been captured on camera - showing young brides crying as they are forced to wed

The heart-breaking video was taken in Chittorgarh, a city in Rajasthan, northern India, a state in the country that is prevalent for child marriages

In another clip a priest - conducting the Hindu ritual - is also seen scolding the children for crying.

Six marriages took place in two days around the Akshaya Tritiya, a Hindu festival believed to be auspicious for child marriages in rural India.

One of the child brides, a five-year-old, is seen dressed in a Hindu bridal dress and is forced to walk around the fire with her child groom, an 11-year-old.

She is crying loudly but a man forces her to complete the Hindu wedding ritual, which involves walking around the fire seven times.

The identities of the others in the footage are yet to be confirmed by police, who have already registered a case against the several families that forced their children to marry but all are currently on the run and in hiding.

One of the child brides, a five-year-old, is seen dressed in a Hindu bridal dress and is forced to walk around the fire with her child groom, an 11-year-old

Six marriages took place in two days around the Akshaya Tritiya, a Hindu festival believed to be auspicious for child marriages in rural India

District Magistrate of Chittorgarh, Ved Prakash, said: ‘As soon as we came to know about these incidents we sent teams out to find the culprits. Once they are caught the marriages of their children will be void and the court will decide strict action against them.

‘We have stopped several child marriages in the past but at times, fearing police, the villagers opt for a secretive venue which may be outside their district or village. Many do not report the incident to police even in fear of the social pressures.’

Child rights activist Kriti Bharti, 28, and founder of Saarthi Trust, a charity for the welfare for child brides and other vulnerable children said: ‘My heart goes out to these little children trapped in this tragedy.

'The police should have acted immediately as the video clearly shows a priest was involved. Action should not only be taken against the families but each adult involved in the ceremony including the decorators, caterers, attendees and relatives.'

Child rights activist Kriti Bharti has so far annuled 29 child marriages in Rajasthan and has stopped 850 child marriages

Ceremony: A 13-year-old is seen sobbing while exchanging wedding vows with her 15-year-old groom

A child bride stands next to her 15-year-old groom in another of the wedding ceremonies caught on camera

The legal age for girls and boys to marry in India is 18 and 21 respectively but according to UNICEF India is home to a third of the world's total child brides

Kriti has so far annuled 29 child marriages in Rajasthan and has stopped 850 child marriages.

Her work means more and more families and villages are beginning to understand that child marriages are not the way forward, but this recent mass child marriage proves there is still much work to do.

Kriti added: ‘Our society will never improve and this cruel concept will keep continuing if strict action is not taken against these people.

'The Child Welfare Committee now needs to intervene and these victims should be taken into protective custody. Once they have protection, we will try reaching out to them and counsel them for a better life ahead of them.

'The families in these cases need equal amount of counseling as they are under a lot of societal pressures,’ she added.