Wedding guest takes place of missing groom

ARUMUGANERI, India, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- An Indian woman whose arranged wedding was endangered when the groom failed to show up ended up being married to a wedding guest who volunteered.

The Times of India said the woman, identified as Ponradha, 23, daughter of Palpandi of Lakshmimanagaram near Arumuganeri, was supposed to be married Wednesday to Sithiraivelu, 35, son of Jayaraman of Lakshmipuram in Kayalpattinam, but the groom failed to arrive as scheduled Tuesday evening.

The groom's family said the man had left after an argument Monday and had not returned.

Sivakumar, a distant relative of the bride who had come to the town for the wedding, volunteered to marry Ponradha at the scheduled wedding time.

The bride's family and wedding guests praised Sivakumar for stepping in and preventing the bride from suffering the stigma of a canceled wedding.