Jodhpur's Royal Wedding

Wedding bells are about to ring in Jodhpur as Yuvraj Shivraj of the royal family weds Gayatri Kumari of Askot this Thursday.

The rich and powerful will attend the high profile ceremony. The Governor and Chief Minister of Rajasthan are expected to attend as well as a host of politicians and celebrities.

According to the spokesperson, the wedding will be held in the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur. The wedding party of 300 will leave Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur this evening with the traditional Baraat Nikasi ceremony.

Yuvraj Shivraj's baraat will mainly comprise the erstwhile nobles, family friends and some celebrity guests.

Guests have been given a special pass with the wedding invitations to keep out gatecrashers.

According to reports, the groom's father Maharaja Gaj Singh of Jodhpur travelled to different countries to invite guests himself.

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has been invited to the wedding.

Bollywood will also be represented by Hema Malini, Dino Morea and Vinod Khanna.

Rumour has it that pop star Madonna might be among the guests at the wedding

Richard Gere might be another famous face at the celebrations

Recently married Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former US president Bill Clinton, is also on the guest list.

Shivraj Singh is the son of Maharaja Gaj Singh and Maharani Hemlata Rajye of Jodhpur. His mother is the daughter of Raja Shivratan Deo Singh of Poonch and Princess Nalini Rajye Lakshmi of Nepal. Shivraj's sister, Shivranjani Rajye, is a year older than him.

Shivraj went Mayo College in Ajmer and then moved on to Eton College. After leaving Eton, Shivraj studied at Oxford Brookes University, where he received a degree in Business Administration.

Shivraj is an avid polo player and a known face in Delhi high society, where he stands out for both his royal lineage and striking good looks. He is primarily responsible for training the Jodhpur polo team, which is now one of the best polo teams in the world. Shivraj is widely referred to as Indian polo's poster boy. (Pic Courtesy: Society)

He was seriously injured while playing in the Birla Cup at the Rambagh Polo Ground in February 2005. Shivraj's horse ran into another's while chasing the ball and he was rushed to hospital where he slipped into a coma. He remained in coma for a month even after surgery. His recovery has been a slow process but it's a happy ending for him and Gayatri as they prepare to marry this week.