Dawn Images

An Indian couple sailed across submerged streets in a massive cooking pot to reach their wedding venue on Monday, as heavy rains flooded the southern state of Kerala.

The couple borrowed the pot from a temple and enlisted two men to push the makeshift boat, images that have gone viral on social media showed.

“It has turned into a wedding which we never imagined,” the bride told the Asianet channel soon after the wedding.

Flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains over the weekend have killed 28 people across the state. While their wedding venue was also partially flooded, the pair were determined to tie the knot in a small ceremony.

“Should have booked a boat instead of a car...” a man can be heard saying in the background of one video. Both husband and wife are healthcare workers.

Images showed cars and buses submerged by the floodwaters after heavy rains battered Kerala over the past four days.

Rescuers searched for survivors as the Indian army, navy and airforce assisted with relief and rescue operations.

The government of Kerala said it had evacuated thousands of people and set up over 100 relief camps.

In 2018, flooding killed nearly 500 people across Kerala.

Originally published in Dawn, October 19th, 2021