Indian tycoon throws mass wedding for 236 fatherless brides

An Indian diamond trader hosted a mass wedding for 236 fatherless brides and gave each of them gifts worth thousands of dollars.

Mahesh Savani put on the event for couples from poor families in the western state of Gujarat.

The 48-year-old has organised mass weddings since 2012 and believes giving away brides is a blessing from God.

"With Sunday's mass wedding, I have become (a) proud father to have performed 'kanyadaan' [the Hindu ritual of giving away one’s daughter in marriage] of over 700 girls," he told AFP.

The businessman gave gifts of gold and household items worth 500,000 rupees (£6,000) to each of the brides.

Mr Savani began the event after one of his employees passed away days before his daughter’s wedding.

In 2015 Mr Savani sponsored 151 brides whose fathers had also died and in 2014 he organised a further 111 weddings.

Mr Savani added that his son and his cousin also got married this year's mass wedding, making a total of 238 couples tying the knot.