Kerala:
After months of speculation and over a dozen controversies, the countdown to Shashi Tharoor's wedding has finally begun. Tharoor, former minister of state for external affairs, will tie the knot will his fiance Sunanda Pushkar in a traditional Kerala wedding on August 22.
(Pics: Tharoor-Suanada wedding on Aug 22)The 54-year-old former minister has chosen his 200-year-old ancestral home known as Mundarath House in Elevanchery, in Palakkad for the auspicious ceremony.
Congress workers from the Trivandrum office revealed that as per the schedule Sunanda and her relatives, including her son, will arrive in Palakkad on August 21. They will be staying at Kalari Kovilakam, a luxury ayurveda palace in Kollengode, Palakkad.
Hotel officials confirmed to Mid Day that Sunanda and her relatives were booked at the exotic palace. "We have booked the luxurious Vengunad suite for them. In all, five such suites have been booked for the guests.
The booking is from 5 pm (Aug 21) to 7.30 am the next day (wedding day)."
The official added that, "The stay (for Sunanda and her relatives) is complementary from the hotel group, where as the menu is undecided, however we serve only vegetarian food."
Tharoor's two sons and sisters are expected to attend the wedding along with his close relatives and mother Lilly. The ancestral homes are undergoing renovation and will be ready in time for the big wedding.
However, Tharoor is not expecting any senior political leaders from outside Kerala to attend the wedding ceremony. The reason cited is that it may cause inconvenience to the leaders, due to lack of proper lodging and boarding facilities.
Both the groom and the bride will be decked up in traditional Kerala wedding attire --
kasavu mundu, kurta and shawl for Tharoor and kasavu mundu for Sunanda. And the specially hand-woven garments will be procured from the famous village Balaramapuram, in Thiruvananthapuram, which is known for hand woven
mundus.
Tharoor will also tie the traditional
Thali (sacred gold chain and locket) around Sunanda's neck to solemnise the marriage. Around 100 plus people are expected to attend the wedding, excluding local media.
Praveen Ram, Tharoor's political front man in Thiruvananthapuram, said that the MP has planned a three-day wedding celebration.
On August 22, after the traditional wedding he will leave for Thiruvananthapuram in the afternoon after the sadhya (feast). On August 23, which is Thiruvonam (tenth day of Onam) the bride and groom will attend a grand reception organised at Subramaniam Hall.
Over 1,000 people including party workers are expected to attend the feast.
Hotel Taj and Hotel SP Grand Days in Thiruvananthapuram will host the bride and her relatives.
The menu will be snacks consisting of tea, coffee,
vada, paal (milk)
paysam, ladoo etc.
Later in the afternoon the couple will host the Onam Sadhya (feast) for 70 odd orphans at the Shree Chitra poor home, a home for the destitute run by the Kerala government.
The couple may leave for Delhi on August 24. However, Tharoor is expecting most of his friends and political leaders to attend a major reception in Delhi, which he will host on September 3 at Silver Oak, India Habitat Center, Delhi, explained Ram.
Regarding the couple's honeymoon plan, the party official stated that the travel schedule does not permit them for such a luxury.