A 46-year-old Punjabi Brahmin priest who manages his own temple in Italy solemnised the wedding of cricketer Virat Kohli and actress Anushka Sharma at a resort in Tuscany on Monday.
Pawan Kumar Kaushal, who belongs to a nondescript village, Sandhu Chatha in Punjab’s Kapurthala district he felt like he was the “man of the match” as he officiated at the one-and-a-half-day wedding.
Kaushal has been living in Italy for the past 25 years. Kaushal, like the rest of the Indians, was unaware that the wedding he had been booked to perform in Tuscany was that of the Indian celebrity couple. He was informed about the identity of his clients when he was on his way to the venue. “I had to drive 400 km from my home in wedding ceremony but did reveal that Virat and Anushka had responded emotionally to the “phera” ceremony and the seven vows made by the bride and the groom to complete the wedding rituals.
The priest admits his celebrity assignment has made him a recognisable face and has earned him a lot of appreciation as well as criticism. Kaushal’s selection as the main priest has caused a lot of jealousy among the tiny community of Indian priests in Italy.