From rxpgnews.com
Celebrity wedding irks many, pleases some
By Anil Sharma, IANS,
Mar 10, 2007 - 7:44:43 AM
Jodhpur, March 10 - Away from the glitter and excitement the Arun Nayar-Liz Hurley wedding has generated in Jodhpur, there are many who are upset over the money spent on the event and by the inconvenience caused to them.
Even as members of the city's tourism industry are happy the Hollywood star decided to marry the Indian-born industrialist here, the high-profile marriage has sparked off complaints too.
'The majority of people in Jodhpur are not even aware who Liz and Arun are. Just look at the money wasted by the government on their security,' remarked Kailash Joshi, a resident.
The security provided to Hurley and Nayar was also raised in the state assembly Thursday.
Communist Party of India-Marxist legislators accused the Bharatiya Janata Party - government of promoting feudalism by providing security to the star couple.
A few people expressed anger at the Mehrangarh Fort being closed to the public for a whole day for the star-studded extravaganza.
'My guests came from Britain and wanted to visit the fort but we were told it was closed due to a private party. Where should I take my guests? There is not much else to see in Jodhpur,' rued Karan Singh, a Jaipur-based tour operator.
The museum in Mehrangarh Fort displays a wide range of historical objects and houses a collection of manuscripts in Sanskrit, Hindi and other languages.
But hoteliers, traders and tour operators are a joyous lot, saying that lavish celebrity marriages would definitely boost tourism.
'I think the wedding - has placed Jodhpur on the international map and it would bring lots of tourists to the city,' R. Singh, a private hotelier here, told IANS.
Visitors stay in Jodhpur for a maximum of two days. After this celebrity wedding, they are likely to plan an extended trip here, he predicted.
D.R. Singhvi, owner of the Gems and Art Plaza, echoed Singh's views that star marriages would give a fillip to the tourism industry.
'With the kind of media interest these celebrities generate, Jodhpur's name has been circulated the world over and it would certainly help attract more and more tourists,' said Singhvi.
Citing an example, Singhvi said that after Hollywood star couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt visited his shop during their Jodhpur trip a few months ago, many foreigners have been trooping into his showroom.
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