Keeping it quiet and simple, Neeraj chose Kumarhatti resort as wedding venue

Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra took the world by surprise by announcing his wedding with tennis player and coach Himani Mor through a social media post yesterday.

Nobody had the slightest inkling about his special day at a resort amid pristine pine forests in Himachal, barely 50 km from Chandigarh.

70-odd guests, staff sworn to secrecy

• The wedding took place at a resort near Gandhigram on the Kumarhatti-Nahan highway, 50 km from Chandigarh, with 70-odd guests in attendance
• There was complete secrecy around the wedding with restrictions on carrying of mobile phones or other gadgets to the venue
• A tennis player and coach, the bride, Himani Mor, hails from Larsauli village of Sonepat district, and is doing Master’s in the US

There was complete secrecy around the wedding of the sports star, which would have otherwise attracted media attention from across the globe. There were total restrictions on carrying of mobile phones or other gadgets to the wedding venue, which could have leaked the much-sought-after pictures of the sports sensation to the outside world.

The staff of the resort near Gandhigram on the Kumarhatti-Nahan highway, who were sworn to secrecy, still remain tight-lipped about the wedding of the celebrated Haryana sportsman with a limited gathering of 70 witnessing the ceremony. The wedding party had checked in on January 14 and the marriage was solemnised the next day. While a majority of the guests left on January 16, Chopra was among the last to leave on the morning of January 17, confided the staff.

The closely guarded ceremony took place at the salubrious settings of the hill resort, which has a scant population in its vicinity. Since the area has earned the reputation for high-end destination weddings, it did not surprise the villagers when they saw the resort being decorated in green and pastel settings. The fact that information about his marriage, considering his high-profile stature, remained under wraps is most astonishing.

Apart from the 70-odd guests, the resort staff remain the lone witness to the celebrated duo walking down the aisle on the perfectly manicured lawns.

Chopra broke the news only yesterday after having flown abroad for honeymoon. Neeraj wrote, “Made life’s new beginning with my family.” He further wrote, “Grateful for every blessing that brought us to this moment together. Bound by love, happily ever after.”

Himani hails from Larsauli village in Gannaur, Sonepat district. The wedding was solemnised with full rituals and traditions.

After hearing the news, people started sending wishes to Neeraj’s family at Khandra village in Panipat.

Surender Chopra, Neeraj’s uncle, said the couple was known to each other for a long time.

“As the newlyweds have gone abroad for honeymoon, we will organise a reception after return to India,” Surender said.

A tennis player, Himani is currently a graduate assistant at Amherst College in the US, managing and overseeing the institution’s women’s tennis team.

She is also pursuing a master’s degree from the McCormack Isenberg School of Management under the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

(With inputs from Mukesh Tandon in Panipat)