Umaid Bhawan decks up for Liz-Nayar wedding

By Anil Sharma Mar 7, 2007, 12:15 GMT

Jodhpur, March 7 (IANS) British model-actress Liz Hurley and Indian-born businessman Arun Nayar are in India to go through yet another round of wedding rituals, this time in Jodhpur in Rajasthan. This will be the third time the couple will tie - well, reinforce - the knot within a span of one week.

Liz and Arun are expected to have a lavish Hindu wedding ceremony at Jodhpur's Umaid Bhavan on March 9. 'It seems they will be getting married on March 9 - in the afternoon or evening - and then attend a reception in Mehrangarh Fort the same day, a source at the hotel told IANS.

While the bridegroom will come riding a white horse, the 'baratis' (wedding procession) will accompany him on decked-up camels and elephants.

The registered wedding took place in a civil ceremony on Friday March 2. This was followed by a second round of highly traditional English wedding, with a choir and hymns, the local vicar and a four-course reception with a dress code of black tie, at the 15th century Sudeley castle in Gloucestershire on March 3.

The couple has already booked Umaid Bhawan from March 7 to 10. Over 250 guests are likely to be part of the wedding celebrations.

'Umaid Bhawan has been decked up with masses of flowers and special lighting arrangements have been made,' said a source at the hotel. A special cricket pitch has been made in the hotel premises where a match between the Hurley team and Nayar team will be played on March 8.

Late in the evening, on March 9, the guests will go to Mehrangarh Fort in luxury coaches where they will be received in traditional style to the playing of shehnai and dhols (drums) and a folk dance by Rajasthani girls. The newly wed couple would be taken up the fort in a specially made 'palki', said the source.

The gala dinner at Mehrangarh fort, built by Rao Jodha in 1459, will have a typical Rajasthani feel with folk singers and folk dances doing the ghoomar, tehra taali and other dances as part of the festivities.

Petals and flowers would be showered on them once the guests and the couple reaches Dault Khana inside the fort where the function would to be held.

Food will be served at Moti Mahal and will include a variety of continental, Mexican and Rajasthani cuisine.

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service