Aishwarya Rai

Billed as the wedding of the year, Bollywood’s hottest stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai exchanged nuptial vows at a colourful but extremely private ceremony yesterday evening.

Abhishek(31 ) and Aishwarya (33) entered into wedlock in a north Indian style ceremony with the golden couple exchanging garlands at Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan’s family home “Prateeksha”. Priests from Benares conducted the rituals.

The ceremony held on the auspicious day of Akshay Tritiya climaxed three days of festivities starting from a Sangeet function on Wednesday and the traditional Mehendi ceremony on Thursday.

The who’s who of India’s rich and famous including movie stars, top industrialists and politicians graced the occasion.

They included Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, Bollywood actors Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan, Kajol and close friends of the Bachchans, Anil and Tina Ambani and Amar Singh and Sachin Tendulkar.

The function was held at a huge air-conditioned pandal in a garden adjoining the Bachchan’s family home. Red and pink flowers, encircled by gold and green curtains covered the tent.

Before the start of the wedding rituals, Abhishek came in a baraat from another of Bachchan’s family residence “Jalsa”, close to the marriage venue. Dressed in a gold-embroidered white sherwani and with his face covered with a frill of flowers, Bollywood’s Bunty rode a colourfully decorated white horse with his nephew Agastya sitting in front of him.

Rai remained hidden inside the barricaded venue, but the Indian media was split down the middle with reports that she either wore a red-and-gold, intricately embroidered sari, or a gold-and-cream creation.

Tight security has been put in place for the function. Police had a tough time keeping away hundreds of curious onlookers and had to resort to a mild lathicharge near “Prateeksha”.

Hundreds of fans cheered as Bachchan, wearing a gold-and-cream turban - his face covered with a traditional veil of white flowers - emerged onto the streets outside his home astride a white stallion, giving his admirers a thumbs-up sign while his friends danced around him.

Bachchan bobbed his head and punched the air with his hands in time to a Bollywood tune played by an accompanying band of red-turbaned musicians.

He then made his way to a huge, flower-filled, air-conditioned tent encircled by gold curtains in the garden adjoining the Bachchan family home - where - to the sound of trumpets, drums and clanging cymbals - he and Rai reportedly exchanged garlands and wedding vows.