Turkey's Antalya hosts gaudy three-day wedding of Indian tycoon

ANTALYA – Doğan News Agency

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Kamal Gupta, the son of Ajay Gupta, one of the richest businessman in India and the world, booked a whole hotel for his wedding in the touristic Antalya district between April 23 and 26. The traditional Indian wedding, which is happening at Mardan Palace Hotel, is to last for three days and three nights.A total of 385 people, including ironers, tailors, tattoo artists and special butlers are employed in the wedding between Gupta and the niece of another famous Indian businessman, Aakash Jahajgarhia.The wedding ring will be parachuted to the luxurious wedding ceremony.The total cost of the wedding has reportedly exceeded 10 million euros.Some 600 guests were invited from South Africa, the U.S., Britain and Dubai for the wedding and a team consisting of 86 butlers will serve the VIP guests.Four different spots in the hotel were emptied and redecorated in 10 days by 15 decoration and entertainment firms, three of which were Indian. The lighting system was set up by a 40-person team from London.The hotel’s pool, the biggest in Europe, was covered with a platform and made into a wedding stage. Some 100 world famous Bollywood singers will perform on the aforementioned stage, along with acrobats and dancers, on the evening of April 25.Up to 150 cooks are preparing traditional dishes and 71 containers of flowers were brought from London for decorations.A team consisting of 50 photographers is documenting the preparation process.The most significant ceremony according to Indian traditions, “Barat Ceremony,” took place outside of the hotel’s door on 7:30 p.m. on April 24. The dancing and walking between the two doors of the hotel was watched by Antalya residents, which lasted almost an hour and a half.Several Bollywood movies have been filmed in the Mardan Palace Hotel, which was opened in 2009 and cost $1 billion to construct.