Sunday, October 24, 2010
RANTHAMBORE (AFP) - – British comic-turned-Hollywood actor Russell Brand and US pop star Katy Perry prepared to tie the knot on Saturday at a luxury resort in western India amid heavy security.
A shroud of secrecy surrounded the marriage preparations of the couple, who were expected to wed late Saturday in a Hindu ceremony on the fringes of the Ranthambore tiger reserve in Rajasthan state.
The luxury Aman-i-Khas resort, where the nuptials were reportedly set to take place, was shielded by bamboo and grass screens to stop onlookers from peering into what the media has dubbed the couple's "jungle wedding."
The British comedian was to ride a gaily bedecked horse for the wedding and 21 camels and an assortment of elephants, camels and horses were booked for the marriage procession, the Press Trust of India news agency said.
The couple had an engagement ceremony Friday night in which Perry wore a maroon sari while Brand wore a kurta pyjama and a turban as Bollywood tunes belted out, the Times of India reported.
Brand, 35, and Perry, 25, arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday and flew to Rajasthan where they travelled to Ranthambore, one of the most popular tiger reserves in India.
Perry's wedding dress was to have an Indian theme and she had traditional Indian henna tattoos on her palms as part of the wedding preparations, media reports said. Brand was also sporting the tattoos on his palms.
Around 100 guests were expected at the celebrations, 80 miles (130 kilometres) from famed tourist city Jaipur. They were said to include pop princess Rihanna and rap mogul P. Diddy.
Staff at three top-end venues booked for the couple and their guests -- the Aman-i-Khas, Sher Bagh and and the Oberoi Vanyavilas -- in the Ranthambore area enforced strict security to stop outsiders from entering.
Vehicles were spotted bringing guests into the Aman-e-Khas resort.
On Friday, bodyguards clashed with photographers trailing Brand and guests in the wildlife park, punching two of the photographers and their driver, according to an AFP photographer.
The British star's minders grabbed the car keys and left the photographers stranded in the park, the photographers said.
Brand's spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
Brand, a recovering drug and alcohol addict with a reputation as a womaniser, was arrested last month for allegedly attacking a photographer at Los Angeles airport and was freed on 20,000 dollars bail.
The hirsute star, who found fame as a comedian and later as a TV and radio presenter, proposed to singer-songwriter Perry while on a New Year holiday in Rajasthan in a whirlwind romance, according to reports.
Perry is famous for her hit songs, "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold".
Ranthambore authorities have told the pair to keep festivities quiet, set off no fireworks and play no music after 10:00 pm so animals in the reserve are not frightened by the noise.
"I have appointed a preventive committee to ensure no violation of norms takes place during the event which is near the forest area," district collector Ravi Kumar told the Press Trust of India.
The couple were expected to host a reception on Sunday at the luxury Taj Rambagh Palace hotel in Jaipur.
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