A Newar girl looks at a fruit of a wood-apple tree after she was pronounced married to the fruit during...
A Newar girl looks at a fruit of a wood-apple tree after she was pronounced married to the fruit during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu November 21, 2009. Girls aged odd years before puberty are married to Bel, the fruit of an wood-apple tree in the ceremony. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. In this way, a Newar girl is married thrice in her life first with a wood apple tree fruit. A second time with the sun and finally with a human later in life. REUTERS/Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL SOCIETY RELIGION IMAGES OF THE DAY)