A famous trader who is preparing special packets for the wedding tells us that these packets will be sent to Mumbai five days prior to the wedding, 'We have received orders from an agent in Mumbai for the Bachchan wedding and we are preparing special packets for them. We will send these packets to wherever they decide to get married.' Not everyone is invited to the Mehendi ceremony. It is supposed to be a very close family affair. The wedding The marriage of two of Bollywood's biggest stars will take place at 6.30pm on April 20, which is the mahurat decided by the family's pundits. Astrologers from across the country, who were consulted for the Abhi-Ash match, have been invited to attend the ceremony which will take place at Pratiksha. According to reliable sources, the Bachchans are taking due care against any lapse in arrangements. They have sought special security from the police besides hiring a private agency to take care of internal security during the wedding functions. Aishwarya's wedding outfit has been designed by Neeta Lulla - a specially hand woven sari with golden zari embroidery. The sherwani for Abhishek has been designed by his favourite designers, Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla. The wedding will take place strictly according to Arya Samaj rites. Reception The Bachchans have postponed the grand reception for some time as Teji Bachchan is in a critical condition. The reception could take place in June at a five-star hotel in Mumbai and guests will include people from the film industry. It is the fervent wish of Amitabh's mother Teji Bachchan, who is unwell and admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital, to see grandson Abhishek settled, and hence the rush. Bidaai The last wedding ritual is Bidaai (Farewell) when the bride bids adieu to her family and leaves for her husband's place. This will take place the day after the wedding, April 21, at Aishwarya's Bandra house. Neeta Lulla has designed 15 wedding saris for Ash and the ghagra choli for Ash's sister-in-law Shweta, besides a few other outfits for the Rais. However, Aishwarya's mother Vrinda will wear a south Indian silk sari from her personal wardrobe. Sharbani Dutta (from Kolkata), a personal favourite of Vrinda Rai, is also designing for the family. She is designing for Aishwarya's father and brother among others for the April 20 wedding. With just days left to go, Dutta has already dispatched about 25-30 pieces in all, including shawls for Aishwarya Rights out There were rumours of Abhi-Ash's wedding rights being sold to Star TV and then to an international media house but a very close source to the Bachchans confirms otherwise. 'Amitabh doesn't intend giving rights to any newspaper, magazine or TV channel since the Bachchans find that demeaning. They don't want a public tamasha.'

Prakash Pandey, the maker of Kanpur's famous 'Thaggu-ke-Laddoo', says he would carry fifty one kilograms of his laddoo to Mumbai for the wedding. 

He said some scenes in Abhishek-Rani Mukherjee starrer 'Bunty aur Babli' were shot near his shop, during which the actors tasted and appreciated the laddoos. They had even taken packed laddoos to Mumbai.

Pandey said Abhishek called him 'Mama' (uncle) when he was here.

"Since director of the film Shad Ali, who is the son of former MP and CPM leader Subhashini Ali, used call me 'mama', Abhishek also called me 'mama'. So being his maternal uncle, I am fulfilling my responsibility by taking laddoos to Mumbai on April 17."

Asked if he got the invitation for the marriage, Pandey said he had been taking laddoos for them to Mumbai. "I am known to Amitabh and Abhishek and there is no problem."

Pandey added that the laddoos he is planning to carry will be made of 'kajoo' (cashew nut) and 'badam' (almonds) and those who taste them once would remember it for ever.
 

Aishwarya is Ideal for Abhishek: Jaya 
Abhishek Bachchan’s mother Jaya Bachchan seems very fond of her bahu-to-be, Aishwarya Rai.

Just a few days remain when Abhishek and Ash are going to exchange marital vows and become partners for life. However, for the Bachchans, Ash has already become a part of their family.

On Karan Johar’s show ‘Koffee With Karan’, Jaya Bachchan candidly expressed her admiration for Aishwarya.

Just at the mention of Aishwarya, Jaya Bachchan said: “She is lovely. I love her. I have always loved her.”

Jaya Bachchan said the most admirable thing about Ash was how she fitted into the Bachchan family.

“I have never ever seen her push herself whenever we are all together. I like that quality of hers to stand behind. She is quiet. She listens and she is taking it all in. And another beautiful thing is that she has fitted in so well in the family. She knows who are our good friends,” Mrs Bachchan told Karan Johar.

When Johar asked if Aishwarya is the ideal Mrs. Abhishek Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan said convincingly: “I think so.”

Jaya also told Johar how her husband, Amitabh Bachchan , had become fond of Aishwarya.

“The minute she (Ash) comes in it is like our daughter Shweta coming home for Amitji, and he lights up. I think that she will fill the vacuum that Shweta left behind,” Jaya Bachchan said.

Besides Mrs Bachchan, the show’s other guests were Shweta Bachchan, actress and MP Hema Malini and her daughter Esha Deol. The episode was aired on Sunday, April 15, on Star World.

Reports add that Ash and Abhishek were escorted out of a Singapore Airlines flight through a separate entrance, which separated them from the other business class passengers, on their arrival in Auckland. Later they headed towards Tahiti. 

The Singapore Airlines staffer requested a female passenger who was on the same flight as Ash and Abhi, to give up her front-row business class seat so that a 'young honeymoon celebrity couple' and their two security personnel could sit together.