There are more men than women in India. Males make up 52 percent or 730 million of the country’s 2023 population while females account for 48 percent or 675 million, according to Global Statistics.

A consequence of the demographic imbalance surfaced last month when a group of men in the southern Indian state of Karnataka marched 120 kilometers to visit a temple. The march started with 30 males, mostly farmers from the Mandya district, but the number grew to 60 when they reached the Male Mahadeshwara temple in Kollegal.

The pilgrims performed the Brahmacharigalu padayatra or “March of the Bachelors” to seek favor from the god Shiva in finding wives, BBC reported.

Mandya’s 2022 sex ratio — 995 females per 1,000 males, according to Indiagrowing.com — explains the pilgrims’ plight.

The acute shortage of women in the district became more pronounced when Shivaprasad KM, one of the organizers of the pilgrimage, said that after their three-day journey, he received messages from farmers in similar situations from neighboring states such as Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

If Mandya’s bachelor farmers are resorting to prayers to find wives, Argentinian blogger Sofi Maure didn’t have a hard time finding a man to marry last month.

The 25-year-old bought a white gown and baked a wedding cake on her 19 February nuptial, photos of which she posted on her Facebook and Instagram. There was no groom, however, as Maure married herself.

Netizens’ reactions were varied with some accusing her of just trying to draw attention. Maure stunned netizens again 24 hours later when she posted that she can’t take the marriage anymore and was divorcing herself.