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Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest person, is set to marry his fiancée, Radhika Merchant, daughter of Indian billionaire Viren Merchant, on July 12, 2024, in Mumbai.
India is known for its extravagant weddings, so when it comes to the wedding of the son of India's richest person, you can expect the celebrations to be exceptionally grand and luxurious. The Ambani-Merchant union has set new benchmarks for jaw-dropping opulence.
According to a Financial Express report, the Ambani family is worth around Rs 9 lakh crore, while the Merchant family has a net worth of around Rs 755 crore. With such immense wealth, it is not surprising that the families have hosted several luxurious pre-wedding festivities for their children. These events, which took place over the span of a year in various locations, were attended by some of the world's richest and most famous personalities.
Each function was grander than the last, featuring performances by some of the world's most popular music stars, who were paid massive sums to entertain the guests. If you haven't been following all the events organised for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, here’s a quick recap for you.
Mukesh and Nita Ambani have hosted 9 extravagant pre-wedding functions ahead of Radhika Merchant & Anand Ambani’s wedding, so far. Here's a list of these functions
A Roka ceremony marks the beginning of a Hindu wedding. In simple words, it is an engagement ceremony where gifts are exchanged between the two families. A Roka ceremony makes the relationship official. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's Roka ceremony took place on December 29, 2022, at the Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan. The couple spent the day at the temple, engaging in traditional Raj-bhog-shringaar ceremonies. The event was an intimate affair, attended only by close friends and family members.
Following the Roka, a mehndi ceremony was held on January 18 last year. Videos from the celebration showed Radhika Merchant dancing to the Bollywood song Ghar More Pardesiya from the film Kalank. The colour pink set the tone for the night, with Radhika Merchant stunning in a fuchsia lehenga designed by celebrity designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla.
On January 19, the Ambanis hosted a grand celebration at their Rs 15,000 crore Mumbai residence, Antilia, to mark the engagement of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. The event was graced by several Bollywood stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, and Ranveer Singh, among others. The celebrations included the traditional Gujarati ‘Gol Dhana’ ceremony, where coriander seeds and jaggery are distributed to guests. This ceremony symbolically welcomed Radhika Merchant into the Ambani family. Nita Ambani performed an aarti for her at Antilia's entrance, while mantras were chanted to bless the occasion.
On February 16 this year, Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant embarked on their pre-wedding journey with a ‘Lagan Lakhvanu’ ceremony in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The ceremony, which signifies the penning of the first official wedding invite, took place at the Ambani family's expansive farmhouse in Jamnagar. Radhika Merchant chose an exquisite pastel-blue lehenga crafted by Anamika Khanna for the occasion.
Four months later, in June 2024, a video of the wedding invite went viral on social media. The invite was distributed to guests in a large lacquered red box containing a silver mandir and a small box with gold idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The invitation box played mantras upon opening and also included another box with dried fruits and sweets, a hand-written note from the couple, and a blue shawl. Also included in the invite was another silver box with more gifts.
Nita Ambani paid a visit to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi to offer the wedding invitation to Lord Shiva. Anant Ambani was himself spotted travelling around Mumbai in his Rolls Royce Cullinan to distribute the cards.
March marked the beginning of a three-day extravaganza in Jamnagar that made headlines around the world for its grandeur. It was attended by over 1200 people. To facilitate the movement of guests flying to India, the relatively-small Jamnagar airport was given international status for 10 days.
The pre-wedding festivities brought the global elite together - from Bollywood stars to business magnates, including personalities like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.
The festivities kicked off with "An Evening in Everland," a lavish cocktail party which was followed by a drone show which unveiled the Ambanis' latest philanthropic venture, Vantara. The highlight of the night was pop star Rihanna's electrifying performance, for which she was paid around Rs 66-74 crore, according to Economic Times.
Day two, themed "A Walk on the Wildside," took guests on a tour of Vantara. For the uninitiated, Vantara is a 3000-acre animal shelter launched by Anant Ambani, who is known for his love of wildlife. Vantara is located within Reliance's Jamnagar Refinery Complex.
A visit to Vantara was followed by a sangeet night named "Mela Rogue." Here, Bollywood's finest joined the celebrations, dancing to iconic tunes with the Ambani family members. The evening wrapped up with a performance by Diljit Dosanjh, who was paid approximately Rs 4 crore, according to Financial Express.
On the final day, which was themed "Tusker Trails" a regal brunch was organised, followed by a "Hastakshar" ceremony, where Anant Ambani and his bride officially registered their marriage. The evening was illuminated by a Maha Aarti led by Nita Ambani, followed by a star-studded concert featuring musicians like Arijit Singh, Lucky Ali, Shreya Ghoshal and Udit Narayan. The guests were also entertained by a special appearance by Akon, who was paid Rs 2-4 crore, according to Times Now. This three-day celebration cost around Rs 1259 crore, according to Deccan Chronicle.
During these three days, guests enjoyed 500 dishes prepared by 100 chefs. The Ambani family also provided meals for 51,000 underprivileged people.
The Ambanis, along with several elite guests, embarked on a luxurious journey across the Mediterranean for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's second pre-wedding bash. All the functions were organised aboard the Celebrity Ascent Cruise from May 29 to June 1. The 16-deck cruise hosted around 800 esteemed guests catered to by a dedicated crew of 600.
Themed 'La Vita È Un Viaggio' (life is a journey), the festivities kicked off in Palermo, Sicily, where guests were welcomed with a grand lunch before sailing along the Italian coast under a starry sky. Radhika Merchant looked stunning in a gown by renowned London-based designer Robert Wun. Adorning the gown was a poignant touch - a love letter penned by Anant Ambani for his lady love when she was just 22 years old.
On day two, the guests spent time exploring Rome before enjoying a toga party together on the deck. The highlight of the toga party was an electrifying performance by DJ David Guetta.
On day three, the cruise docked in Cannes, where the historic Château de la Croix des Gardes hosted a magical masquerade ball. Katy Perry's rendition of Firework under a sky ablaze with real fireworks stole the limelight. This was followed by a sensational performance from American singer and rapper Pitbull.
The celebrations culminated in Portofino, a fishing village in Italy, which was transformed into a bustling market with food stalls. While the guests savoured the delicacies, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli delivered a musical performance.
On July 3, the Ambani family organised a mass wedding for over 50 underprivileged couples from Palghar at Mumbai's Reliance Corporate Park. This 'Samuh Vivah' saw a gathering of nearly 800 people, including the couples' families.
Each bride was presented with costly gifts - Mangalsutra, nose ring and wedding ring made of gold, along with silver adornments like toe rings and anklets. Each couple was given a cheque of Rs 1.01 lakh each.
Beyond these gifts, the newlyweds received a year's supply of essential groceries and household items, alongside appliances and bedding essentials. The festivities culminated in a grand dinner and the traditional Tarpa Dance by the Warli Tribe.
Ahead of their main wedding on July 12, the Ambanis and Merchants held a ‘Mameru’ ceremony at Antilia. In the Gujarati tradition, the groom's maternal family, including Nita Ambani's mother Purnima Dalal and sister Mamta Dalal, showered Radhika with gifts. Known as Mameru, these gifts symbolise blessings and affection towards the bride and her family. For her ‘Mameru’ ceremony, Radhika dazzled in a bespoke orange and pink bandhani lehenga by Manish Malhotra.
On July 5, the Ambanis hosted an extravagant sangeet party at the Jio World Convention Centre, attended by a star-studded guest list from the world of business, bollywood, sports, and politics. Adding to the spectacle, American singer Justin Bieber delivered a stunning performance, for which he has been paid a whopping Rs 83 crore, according to the Hindustan Times. Ranveer Singh also brought his trademark energy while dancing to the song No Entry. Several other Bollywood stars also shook a leg during the sangeet ceremony. Anant Ambani added to the glitz of the night by chauffeuring Salman Khan onstage on a bike, where they danced to Aisa Pehli Baar Hua Hai.
The Ambani family has planned a few more traditional Indian wedding ceremonies which will take place over the next few days. They will kick off with the ‘Shubh Vivah’ ceremony on July 12, followed by the ‘Shubh Aashirwad’ ceremony on July 13. The celebrations will conclude with the ‘Mangal Utsav’ wedding reception on July 14. All of these ceremonies will take place at the Jio World Centre's Jio World Garden, where the average one-day rent to organise a wedding is Rs 15 lakh, according to Financial Express.
