Indian wedding functions begin for Liz Hurley

British actress Elizabeth Hurley and her new husband Arun Nayar kicked off their Indian wedding festivities with a private dinner party in the country’s financial capital Mumbai, news reports said today.

The Hindustan Times newspaper reported that 60 friends and relatives travelling with Ms Hurley and German-Indian businessman Mr Nayar from Britain attended the party in central Mumbai late yesterday and some guests were taken on a yacht ride around Mumbai.

The couple were married on Friday in a private civil ceremony at Sudeley Castle in Winchcombe, 125 miles west of London.

They held a blessing and party at the castle Saturday evening, with guests including Elton John, Kate Moss, Elle Macpherson and Hurley’s ex, Hugh Grant.

The couple’s Indian friends hosting the parties in Mumbai were tight-lipped about other events, but the Indian Express newspaper published details of planned festivities.

The newspaper quoted guests saying a “haldi” ceremony followed by a black-tie dinner earlier scheduled for yesterday was shifted to late today. The function will be hosted by Parmeshwar Godrej, wife of well-known Indian industrialist Adi Godrej, at their beach-front home in suburban Mumbai.

Indian weddings include a traditional “haldi”, or turmeric ceremony, in which the bride and groom are covered in a paste of turmeric, milk and cream believed to cleanse and beautify them.

The couple arrived in Mumbai early yesterday to begin six days of celebrations, which will end with a ceremony at Umaid Bhavan Palace, the Maharaja of Jodphur’s palace-turned-luxury resort in the state of Rajasthan in western India.