Two Hindu brides, their vision obstructed by long veils, married the wrong men - giving new meaning to the expression, "Love is blind."
The Times of India said Wednesday that two marriage parties arrived at the same time Tuesday in Patan village in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.The ceremonies were rushed, and the long veils obscured the brides' vision, preventing them from picking out their true fiances, the report said.
Following Hindu tradition, one bride circled a fire with a bridegroom seven times, sealing the marriage. The other bride then completed "the seven steps" with the second bridegroom, the paper said.
When they lifted their veils, the brides discovered they had married the wrong men.
But village elders said that "the seven perambulations around the sacred fire" were final and there could be no exchange of spouses, the paper said.
Most marriages in rural India are arranged, especially among Hindus who comprise 82 percent of India's 880 million people.