The Bachchan family, accompanied by Aishwarya Rai, performed puja at the Kashi Vishwanath and Sankat Mochan temples here early this morning, fuelling speculation of the beauty queen-turned actor marrying Bollywood heartthrob Abhishek Bachchan.The couple, accompanied by Abhishek's father Amitabh, mother Jaya, sister Shweta Nanda, uncle Ajitabh and his daughter Namrata and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, took part in the Mangla Aarti and Rudra Abhishek rituals at the temples. Interestingly, while Amitabh and Jaya sat on one side during the Rudra Abhishek, Abhishek and Aishwarya were on the other side. The family also offered prayers at Ram Janaki temple and participated in aarti there. Incidentally, today is the 99th birthday of Bachchan's father and noted Hindi poet Harivanshrai Bachchan. "They performed the rituals with great zeal. Amitabh and Jaya offered the jalabhishek. I also requested Abhishek and Aishwarya to do so," Kashi Vishwanath temple priest Srikant Tripathi said. The Bachchans and Aishwarya earlier emerged from their hotel at around 2.00 am and reached the temples amidst heavy posse of police personnel and a battery of mediapersons.Family astrologer Chandramouli Upadhyaya, who met the Bachchans last night at their hotel upon their arrival here, said while there was no discussion on the marriage, they came to Varanasi to offer prayers to overcome a problem relating to Aishwarya's horoscope. The Bachchans arrived here by a chartered flight, sending the local media into a tizzy during their 14-hour stay. Elaborate security arrangements were made at the Taj Ganges hotel, where they stayed and also at the temples. They returned to the hotel at around 7 am and left for the airport in the afternoon.
