ACTRESS WEDS MAHARAJAH

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14013, 18 September 1909, Page 6

ACTRESS WEDS MAHARAJAH

ROMANTIC UNION CAUSES SENSATION AT LUCKNOW.

The marriage at Lucknow ot Miss Elsie Forreste, a well-known Australian actress, with the Maharajah ot Tikari has caused a great sensation throughout India, the bridegroom belonging to an old Rajput family in Bengal. Miss Elsie Forreste's real name is Elsie Caroline Thompson, and her father, according to the Era, is Mr. James Thompson, of Fern Street, Randwick, Sydney. Originally a member ot a Sydney amateur organisation, she made her rirst professional appearance as the child in Mr. Hawtrey's production ot "A Message from Mars." After touring with this company Miss, Forreste joined Lee's Entertainers, a visiting American vaudeville company, and with Arthur Nelson presented a remarkably clever song and dance turn. Tours in India and South Africa led to Miss Forreste building up considerable popularity in those countries, and her last Australian appearance was under Mr. Williamson s management, when Mr. Collier produced "The Dictator." It was while touring in India that she won the heart of the Maharajah of Tikari, with the result that she is now his consort. At the nTarriage ceremony in Lucknow, performed with all Hindoo rites, the young actress, who was dressed in Eastern costume, wore a beautiful pale blue sari, bespangled with gold, and a veil tell from the back of her head over her shoulders. Her arms, save for gold bangles, were bare to the elbows. She did not appear to be nervous, but smiled pleasantly, and nodded to those around her. During the water ceremony she was asked questions, and responded in Urdu, the language of her husband's people. Three separate times she took a little water in her hand, and after each question put the water to her lips. Then she washed her hands, and, dipping her fingers into a bowl, touched her eyes, her forehead, her ears, her waist, and then threw a little water ►T>ver her body. Next she held a spoon filled with burning oil, stood over a pit, and threw fire on to the' sandalwodd therein. The fire blazed up, and she fed it with more oil. Some reading of Hindoo scripture followed, and it was then seen that Sita Dcvi, the new name the convert had received, was looking faint from the intense heat. The ceremony took over an hour. The Rajah ami the new Raaj with their guests, adjourned to the dining hall, where twenty-five people partook of a sumptuous wedding dinner in true Oriental style.