India's glamorous movie-star Aishwarya Rai received a lasting accolade in Amsterdam Thursday even before Bollywood's "Oscars" are awarded in the Dutch city this weekend - a Dutch tulip has been named after her. Wearing a sober black dress, the popular 31-year-old star of the Indian screen attended the 'christening' of her orange and yellow edged tulip. The flower is one of the Netherlands' most enduring symbols as well as largest industries.

"The tulip represents all the beautiful things of Holland," director of the Netherlands' tourism office Hans van Driem said, presenting the tulip to the actress, a former Miss World.

She will make her first appearance on Saturday at the International Indian Film Academy awards, the Indian film industry's equivalent of the Oscars.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005