A groom in India has caused some controversy online after a video was shared to Instagram showing him apparently force feeding his new wife during their wedding ceremony.
The months of June and July this year contain several dates considered "auspicious" for weddings in India and a number of incidents involving couples have garnered international attention.
However, footage of a groom grabbing the bride's head and forcing a traditional wedding sweet into her mouth has been criticized as abuse by some who've seen it online.
It's traditional at Indian weddings for newlyweds to feed each other sweets - sometimes a ladoo (or laddu) made of flour, fat, and sugar, which appears to be the case in the video.
This is partly due to the fact that couples will often fast on the wedding day and break the fast by an exchange of these treats.
The eating of ladoos is generally considered a sweet moment during the ceremony, not unlike the kiss in most western traditions.
Internet users were not impressed by a video posted by Instagram user official_niranjanm87 on June 30, however. The footage, which for some reason is set to jaunty music and has a man making two thumbs-up superimposed on it, shows an apparently shy bride feeding the groom a ladoo.
She then turns away but the groom clearly grabs her by the head and pulls it back toward him before putting one of the sweets in her mouth. It was not immediately clear where the incident had taken place or the exact date.
Some who viewed the video reacted with shock, according to a report from DNA India.
One Instagram user said: "This is not funny this is abuse. That is a sign of what is to come. I can't believe this family allowed this to happen. These are not funny or entertaining these are sad. That's a violent man who didn't like no!"
"This is abuse!! Arranged marriages should be made illegal! She's going to have a very happy married life being bashed night and day," another user said.
Arranged marriages are still common on the Indian subcontinent but they are controversial. The system of matchmaking has faced accusations of sexism as well as of paying too much attention to the former Indian caste system, which strictly separated social classes.
Wedding photography website Salmada.com offers this explanation of the exchange of sweets: "Similar to traditional American weddings where the bride and groom feed each other cake, in a Hindu wedding the Kansar Bhakshan is an exchange of sweets between the bride and groom."
"Usually, the couple will fast on the day of their wedding, only breaking it with this tradition. For those who practice this tradition, the Kansar Bhakshan is an exciting time indeed as they finally get to eat; and something delicious at that! Such a practice is a wonderful way for the bride and groom to share their very first meal together as a married couple," the site said.
