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Kerala witnesses royal marriage after 35 years

D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram

The Kerala capital on Tuesday witnessed a royal marriage after a gap of 35 years.

The marriage of Lekha Thampuratty, who was adopted as princess by the erstwhile Travancore royal family four years ago, to Anoop Verma, of the Kochi royal family, was held with all traditional and religious rituals, though it lacked the royal pomp of old.

A large number of people swarmed the Sree Vaikundam Kalyanamandapam to witness the event. The marriage is considered significant as it marks the coming together of two royal families, who are said to have something of a love-hate relationship.

The last royal marriage was of Aswathi Tirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi, held in 1963. That too was a low-key affair. However, the marriage of Colonel Godavaram Raja on January 25, 1934 was an elaborate affair.

Lekha Thampuratty, daughter of Kerala Verma and Ambika of the Mavelikkara Utsavamadom palace, appeared in a simple attire for the function, which started at 0930 hours. Except for the royal diamonds, the jewellery she used was simple and ordinary.

Aditya Verma, the youngest member of the family, received the bridegroom at the main entrance of the marriage hall. Eight young girls of the family led the bride to the stage. A team of 10 priests, led by Mithran Nampoothiripad, performed the ceremony.

They first started the punyaham, to purify the bride and bridegroom. The bridegroom was then seated on a plank, and the bride's father washed his feet. The exchange of garlands followed, and the bride was handed over to the bridegroom.

The couple later left for Anoop Verma's house at Tripunithura. They will return on Wednesday to take part in the marriage party, scheduled at the Rangavilasam palace.

The couple plan to settle down in Delhi, where Anoop Verma, who has a master's degree in business administration from Germany, works as an executive for a Singapore-based company.

"She (Lekha) can either study or seek a job," he said, when asked about future plans for his wife. He said his stay in Delhi and outside the country has influenced his lifestyle, and hoped that Lekha would be able to adjust to her new surroundings. Anoop was born and brought up in Delhi whereas Lekha has been confined to Kerala.

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