Wedding video of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia resurfaces online

An old wedding video of late former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi with Sonia Gandhi, who was Sonia Maino at that time, has resurfaced online.

The video of the wedding, which took place in 1968 in Delhi, shows the couple signing official documents, exchanging garlands, and cutting their wedding cake among family members.

The wedding ceremony took place in the garden of Indira Gandhi’s residence.

It is believed that Rajiv was 23-year-old when he tied the knot with Sonia, who was 21 at that time.

The video came from the archives of the Associate Press news agency and was reshared by the Instagram handle @indianhistoryposts.

Among the attendees include President Zakir Hussain, freedom fighter-turned-diplomat and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s sister Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, and Rajiv's brother Sanjay Gandhi.

According to Rasheed Kidwai’s book on Sonia Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi wore a cream silk Patiala achkan and chooridars with a pink Bharatpuri turban for the wedding while Sonia donned a pale pink khadi saree.

A day after the wedding, Indira Gandhi hosted a reception at the Ashok Hotel with Parsi, Kashmiri, and Italian cuisines.

According to reports, Rajiv Gandhi first met Sonia in Cambridge. Their children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are senior Congress leaders today.

In 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, following which P V Narasimha Rao was appointed as the Prime Minister of India.