Updated at 6.45 pm
VARANASI: In the strongest sign so far that they were inching towards wedlock, actress Aishwarya Rai accompanied star Abhishek Bachchan and his family to take part in pujas at the Kashi Viswanath and Sankat Mochan temples here on Monday.
Amid a media frenzy and a night of rumours since their arrival here that Aishwarya and Abhishek were getting married, the Bachchans took part in the Mangla Aarti and Rudra Abhishek rituals at the two ancient temples.
Having arrived in the temple town on Sunday night, the Bachchans, led by Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan and accompanied by Aishwarya and family friend and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, reached the temples under heavy security and performed a special 'hawan' (prayers in front of fire) that was overseen by over two dozen priests for over 90 minutes.
Among the family members present were Abhishek's mother Jaya, sister Shweta Nanda, uncle Ajitabh and his daughter Namrata.
The pujas coincided with the 100th birthday of Amitabh's father and noted Hindi poet late Harivanshrai Bachchan.
Aishwarya was dressed in a white and blue salwar kameez and had draped a shawl around herself, while Abhishek wore a white kurta-pyjama and a dark-coloured shawl. All the family members had sandalwood paste smeared on their forehead while Aishwarya sported vermillion on her forehead.
"They performed the rituals with great zeal. Amitabh and Jaya offered the jalabhishek (offering water to the deity). I also requested Abhishek and Aishwarya to do so," Kashi Viswanath temple priest Srikant Tripathi said.
Family astrologer Chandramouli Upadhyaya, who met the Bachchans last night, said while there was no discussion on marriage, they came to Varanasi to offer prayers to overcome a problem relating to Aishwarya's horoscope.
There have been reports that the wedding plans of the two actors were getting delayed due to a problem in Aishwarya's horoscope.
Tripathi, however, said he was not aware why the Bachchans had performed the prayers and that there was no specific ritual undertaken to reduce the influence of Mars on them.
The Bachchans, who arrived here by a chartered flight, sending the local media into a tizzy, also offered prayers at Ram Janaki Temple here.
Elaborate security arrangements were made at the Taj Ganges hotel, where the Bachchan family stayed during the visit, and also at the temples where it offered prayers.
A large number of mediapersons, who were camping at the hotel and the temples, were kept at bay.
Amitabh had said in London earlier this month that he wanted Abhishek to settle down with a "good girl" of his choice.
On the prospect of Abhishek marrying Aishwarya, he had quipped, "I have also heard about it. You should ask the people who spread the rumour."
On another occasion, he said he wanted Abhishek to marry at the earliest so that he could soon get a grandson.
Abhishek (31) and Aishwarya (33) have of late starred in a number of films, including the just released Umrao Jaan and Dhoom II.
Their other film together is the Mani Ratnam-directed Guru, which is slated for release soon.
