Babies who died nearly 30 years ago are married in a ceremony to 'bless' their families

The tradition of Pretha Kalyanam along the west coast of India unites two people who have died in marriage to help ward off any evil spirits that could bring bad luck to their families

Chadappa and Shobha tied the knot in July in Karnataka, India, in a tradition that is becoming less common in the country (

Image: Anny Arun)

Usually the bride and groom at a wedding are both physically there - and at the very least both alive.

But the wedding ceremony between Chadappa and Shobha in India saw neither.

The now-married couple had died as babies nearly 30 years ago, but their families had brought them together in the 'Pretha Kalyanam' tradition, also known as the 'wedding of the dead' ".

The nighttime celebration even followed the usual Saptapadi rites - the seven-step Hindu wedding ritual between husband and wife.

The act of marrying the dead is practiced by a few coastal Indian communities in states such as Kerela and Karnataka.

The dead bridge and the groom are represented during the wedding ceremony through clothes, dolls or effigies (

Picture:

fizkes/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Some cultural beliefs hold that people who died as infants or teenagers under the age of 18 can reunite in a "spiritual marriage" and complete the cycle of life.

Through this, any restless or malevolent spirits that have been upset at being denied the opportunity to marry will be appeased.

Otherwise, bad luck may fall on bereaved families and, for example...