Notes shortage? Watch Indian minister Dh271m wedding

Bengaluru - Bollywood stars reportedly performed in the five-day extravaganza.

The lavish wedding of former Karnataka minister and mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy's daughter on Wednesday raised eyebrows for its pomp and grandeur -- held at a time when millions are queueing up outside banks and ATMs for cash.

Over 50,000 people thronged the wedding venue at the Bangalore Palace to wish and bless the couple.

"At the auspicious time in the early hours, Rajeev Reddy, 25, tied the nuptial knot with bride Brahmani, 21, amid chanting of Vedic hymns by dozen priests in accordance with the Hindu tradition," Reddy's associate Manju Swamy told IANS.

Rajeev is the son of Hyderabad-based industrialist, Vikram Deva Reddy, with business interests overseas.

Billed as one of the most expensive marriages in the sub-continent, the five-day grand event drew all-round flak and envy.

According to some reports, Bollywood stars performed in the five-day extravaganza that critics have branded an 'obscene display of wealth'.

Preparations for the event began months in advance, and eight Bollywood directors were reportedly hired to create sets resembling ancient Hindu temples, to form a backdrop to the ceremonies.

"It is unfortunate that a daughter's wedding was made an issue out of envy and rivalry though it's a cherishing moment for her parents, who wanted to celebrate the event befitting their family status in society," asserted Swamy.

The 49-year-old Reddy, a former BJP lawmaker, is on bail after languishing 40 months in jail for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore mining scam that rocked the southern state in 2010-11.

Though Reddy was maintaining low profile after his release in January 2015 on conditional bail by the Supreme Court, an expensive marriage invitation sent out with a LCD screen playing a pre-wedding video raised eyebrows and brought him back into limelight.

"As Brahmani is his only daughter, a doting Reddy wanted to perform her wedding in a grand style and differently so that people could remember it for long and make it a benchmark," Swamy pointed out.

Ahead of the fat wedding, Reddy told reporters on November 10 at his home town, Ballari, that he would give marriage expenditure account to the income tax department in a month.

"Reddy had hired about 3,000 bouncers and security guards to prevent media and activists, like me, from barging into the venue and asking him on the vulgar display of his ill-gotten wealth he amassed through illegal mining," said Murthy.