Rajasthan is rolling out the red carpet for the marriage of actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. Umaid Bhavan Palace may be the ceremony venue for Aishwarya and Abhishek. Amitabh Bachchan has sent a couple of his close friends to Jodhpur to finalise the hotel bookings.

Around four other hotels excluding Umaid Bhavan are to be booked in Jodhpur and Jaisalmer for the marriage ceremonies. The Bachchans want these hotels booked for a period of three days from March 18. The marriage is expected to take place March 19. However, March being tourism season in Rajasthan, they are finding it difficult to get the required number of rooms in both the cities.

It is, of course, Umaid Bhavan Palace, that is the most sought after. Perched high above Jodhpur, it is the last of the great palaces of India and one of the largest residences in the world - set amidst 26 acres of lush gardens. This golden-yellow sandstone monument was conceived on the grandest possible scale, in the fashionable Art Deco style of that time. After 15 years of construction, the 347-room palace was finally completed in 1943 - and has served as the principal residence of the Jodhpur royal family since.

Hollywood star couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had also stayed there during their recent India visit.