Madonna checks into Mumbai

MUMBAI: After ringing in the New Year in Rajasthan, Madonna and hubby Guy Ritchie finally arrived in Mumbai, the last leg of their Indian holiday.

The entourage checked into the Taj Palace in Colaba on Thursday where an entire floor will be occupied by them for security reasons.

According to some reports, this £100,000 vacation could be a ‘celebration’ of their successful adoption of Malawian baby David Banda. They had arrived in India on December 31 from the Maldives on a chartered Kingfisher jet.  Earlier in Rajasthan, Madonna took in the local flavour of the region. She went on two-hour trek in the desert near the Rohetgarh Fort and even rode Marwari horse — famed for their loyalty and bravery (see inset).

The Daily Mail quoted Siddarth Singh, whose family owns the fort, saying that Madonna enjoyed an evening of traditional Rajasthani folk music, with performances by Langa, Manganiar and Kalbelia dancers.
 
“There was a dancing horse show too,” Singh was reported to have said. “Traditional food was served at the party. Madonna had vegetable curries and fish, while her son and husband stuck to vegetables only. Later all of them danced with folk artistes into the wee hours. In the morning a special horse show was organised at Khandi, a village near Rohetgarh.”