THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: When former 'It girl' Alexandra Aitken married a Sikh 'warrior' from the Punjab, it was regarded by many as an unlikely union.
Following a spectacular ceremony near Amritsar – organised at such short notice that her father, Jonathan Aitken, the disgraced former Cabinet minister, and her mother were unable to attend – the former society hell-raiser declared her intention to live a life of humble simplicity with "the most beautiful man I've ever seen".
But while most cross-cultural marriages are likely to bring their own particular strains and difficulties, the union of Alexandra Aitken and Inderjot Singh may have to bear more than most.
Already, some of Mr Singh's relatives have stepped in to denounce the marriage as contravening Sikh traditions, saying that it threatens to dilute the family's bloodline.
Members of his family have also cast doubt on Alexandra's widely publicised claim that her husband is a member of a devout Sikh warrior sect and that dozens of holy men left their caves to attend the wedding.
Furthermore, there are question marks over quite how religious Mr Singh actually is, with friends coming forward to point out that he used to be quite happy living a party lifestyle.
Alexandra Aitken's marriage to Mr Singh is the culmination of a tortuous journey, from party girl to yoga devotee and Sikh convert, that has seen her dabble in Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Kabbalah along the way. >>> Gethin Chamberlain in Ludhiana and Patrick Sawer in London | Sunday, February 13, 2011
