The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, NEW DELHI: US pop icon Madonna and her film director husband Guy Ritchie rang in the New Year in a remote village in the northern Indian desert state of Rajasthan, reports said Tuesday. The 49-year-old singer, her husband and five friends drove to a heritage hotel in Dechu village soon after reaching the historic city of Jodhpur from the Maldives by chartered plane. The world's top earning female singer was supposed to travel on Tuesday to Jaisalmer, famous for its sprawling sandstone fort and undulating sand dunes, the reports said. Rajasthan, known for its opulent palaces and magnificent forts, is popular among Western celebrities who come to see the state's royal heritage. Last March British actress Elizabeth Hurley wed Indian businessman Arun Nayar in a traditional Indian-style wedding at an ancient palace in Jodhpur. "The pop star will be in Rajasthan for five to six days."