Calcutta, Jan. 15 :    Calcutta, Jan. 15:  The only words missing on the gate of Singhi Palace were 'Jhumpa weds Alberto'. Jhumpa Lahiri got married to Alberto Vourvoulias tonight in an immaculate Bengali ceremony - without the hom. The groom was even threatened with dire consequences if he did not part with some money for the bride's party. Alberto didn't mind. The deputy editor of Time looked quite pleased as he sat inside one of the halls, trying to repeat all the Sanskrit mantras haltingly, but religiously. He looked comfortable in a tasar punjabi embroidered around the neck, dhuti and topar, while Jhumpa was resplendent in a red benarasi and matching veil. The New York-based writer of Interpreter of Maladies - stories on Bengal, Boston and beyond - wore a sitahar (a traditional Bengali gold necklace) which belonged to her mother and red and white flowers in her chignon. She also wore mehndi on her hands - but Bengali brides can do worse. The Pulitzer-winner was done up by Calcutta's wedding artist for celebrities - Probir Kumar Dey. However, as the mingled smell of machher paturi, fish fry and mutton curry wafted from the kitchen at the back of the lawn, Calcutta's paparazzi raged outside. They even climbed on to the roof of a house nearby when a dog was let loose on them. A frail-looking old gentleman defended the Singhi Palace gate, done up with cane filigree and clumps of flowers and clothed in green lights. Inside, a tree was bathed in a violet glare. A foreign guest - part of Alberto's entourage - roamed about in a mauve saree and matching ensemble, completing the picture. Almost everyone from the groom's 22-strong side - collected from Tokyo, Canada and the US - was dressed in dhutis and sarees, except the older persons who stuck to suits. Some took detailed notes of the rituals. A pair of the overseas guests, who had ventured outside armed with a handicam, posed before television cameras and said in well-practised tones: 'Kolkata, ami tomake bhalobasi.' Jhumpa and Alberto were taken through every elaborate detail of the Bengali ceremony - well, almost. There was no hom - the fire ritual. Neither was Jhumpa smeared with sindur, as that was considered too foreign for the groom. But the remaining rites were observed diligently. Around 5.45 pm, the 33-year-old writer was smuggled in through the back gate. Hubby-to-be was brought in through the same door after half-an-hour, to be confronted by the boron party consisting of Jhumpa's female relatives. As they settled down to the real ceremony, Jhumpa, her face covered in betel leaves, was carried around Alberto seven times after which they exchanged shubhodrishti - the look. Finally, Jhumpa was officially 'gifted' to Alberto with the sampradan ceremony under the chhadnatola - wedding canopy, decorated with flower curtains on four sides. The Vourvoulias family was glad of the addition. 'I enjoyed every moment. The ceremony was so interesting,' said Alberto's father. 'I am very fond of Jhumpa,' he added. The 550-odd guests gorged on kochuri, chholar daal, fish fry, mutton curry, papad, chatni, chhanar dalna (a sweet dish made with cottage cheese) and ice cream. There was a paan counter - another slightly un-Bengali feature, offering the paan of one's choice. But the newshounds still screamed outside. Jhumpa's parents were apologetic. 'It's not as if we don't want the press. But Jhumpa is a very shy person. She doesn't want reporters inside,' her father said. Not everyone was dying for a dekko though. A group of 20-something guests - of Indian origin - in crisp churidar kurtas were found outside, hanging around the phuchkawalah. 'I didn't know she was a celebrity. I just heard that she had written a novel,' said one, concentrating hard on his phuchkas.