One Of The Most Expensive Weddings In History Indian Tycoon Hosts £59m Wedding For Daughter

Extravagant wedding of Gali Janardhan Reddy’s daughter criticised at a time when many Indians have been hit by cash crisis

 The daughter of Gali Janardhan Reddy, Bramhani, with her groom, Rajeev Reddy, during the wedding. Photograph: AFP

A controversial Indian mining tycoon has taken over a royal palace and flown in Brazilian dancers at a reported cost of 5bn rupees (£59m) to celebrate his daughter’s wedding.Up to 50,000 people were expected on Wednesday at the sprawling Bangalore Palace, a mock Tudor castle in southern India, to celebrate the wedding of Gali Janardhan Reddy’s daughter, who was married in a Hindu ceremony earlier in the day.

Local media criticised the extravagance at a time when many Indians are struggling to find the cash to buy food following the government’s move to pull high-value notes out of circulation in an attempt to tackle tax evasion.

 Gali Janardhan Reddy, centre of the screen, with his daughter and son-in-law during the wedding. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

But one associate defended the lavish expenditure, saying Reddy wanted people to remember the wedding of his only daughter.

“It is unfortunate that a daughter’s wedding has been made an issue out of envy and rivalry,” Manju Swamy told AFP before the party. “It’s an important moment for her parents and they wanted to celebrate the event in a way that befits the family’s status in society.”

India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, announced last week that 500- and 1,000-rupee (£6 and £12) notes – 85% of the cash in circulation – would cease to be legal tender.

Indians can change a limited number of old notes for new ones at banks and post offices, but there have been huge queues since they reopened last Thursday after closing for a day following the announcement.

 People line up to change old Indian rupee notes outside a bank