Ultimately, everyone was left guessing, was it the Bachchan family's way of flaunting the new 'bahu'.
Astrologer says kundalis are "perfectly matched"
LUCKNOW: Ultimately, everyone was left guessing, was it the Bachchan family's way of flaunting the new 'bahu', a chance appearance by Bollywood's reigning diva with the industry's first family, Abhishek's idea of mixing religion with pleasure or a publicity stunt for the promotion of 'Dhoom-2'?
Neither anyone from the Bachchan family, nor Aishwarya, not even the eminently outspoken Amar Singh said a word to the media. But all signals emanating from Varanasi point to a family blockbuster in the making. The celebrated entourage left with the question they had arrived with, Is the Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding finally on the cards?
Right from the late night landing of the celebrities in two private planes at the Varanasi airport on Sunday to their departure on Monday afternoon, each entry and exit was shrouded in secrecy.
A journalist, who followed the family all along, told DNA that when Aishwarya, dressed in a simple salwar-kurta and shawl, arrived at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple for the 'mangal arati' at 2.45 am on Monday morning, "her face and body language reflected a gravity unique of someone who had come with a strong resolution".
Abhishek, in a kurta-pyjama with a shawl wrapped around his shoulders to keep the early morning cold away, also looked "serious". Aishwarya remained quiet throughout the trip. Most of the time she was seen close to Abhishek's sister Shweta.
"The Bachchans were here to perform a 'puja'nothing special about it. They have been coming here to offer prayers quite often," was all that Chandramouli Upadhyay, the family's purohit and reader at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) would say. Those in the know of things remember him as the one who performed the rituals at the marriage of Shweta.
He said both Abhishek and Aishwarya are 'manglik' (having the influence of Mars in their horoscopes), and that the Bachchans had indeed asked him about a 'mangal dosh' in Aishwarya's horoscope. To persistent questioning by reporters, Upadhyay said: "I have told you what I knew… I have not been consulted regarding any wedding plans."
Varanasi-based astrologer and horoscope expert Pt. PC Upadhyay who has studied horoscopes of both Aishwarya and Abhishek told DNA: "The 'kundlis' (of Abhishek and Aishwarya) are perfectly matched, both of them have 'rajyoga'if they are indeed planning to get married. February 2007 would be the best time."
The Bachchans were at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple from 3 to 4 am. Here they participated in the 'mangal arati' after which they also performed the 'rudra-abhishek' which is supposed to propitiate Lord Shiva to remove problems in any new work that a devotee might be undertaking.
Between 5 and 6 am, they were at the Sankat Mochan Temple consecrated to Lord Ganesh where the 'maha-mrityunjay jaap', 'Ganesh stuti', 'Hanuman stuti', and 'Durga navaran' rituals were performed.
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