In Indian culture, weddings are not just ceremonies, they are festivals of love, tradition, and family bonds, and to start the Ambani wedding celebration, Gujarat is currently hosting the pre-wedding bash of the couple Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant.
The couple celebrated their upcoming wedding in July with a lavish pre-wedding event in Gujarat’s beautiful Jamnagar. Being the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s wealthiest person with a fortune of $117 billion, Anant Ambani works as a director at Reliance, the company his grandfather started, where he plays a significant role in the energy sector while honoring his family’s esteemed legacy.
Joining Anant on this journey is Radhika Merchant, the youngest daughter of Viren Merchant, CEO of Encore Healthcare and a board member of APL Apollo Tubes, and Shaila Merchant, director of Encore Healthcare. The event was filled with stars from all over the world.
For the grand celebration, a Hindu temple was built which reflected the lasting love and commitment between Anant and Radhika. Additionally, the Ambani family to celebrate the union of their son and daughter-in-law hosted a communal dinner for more than 50,000 villagers. The event also served over 500 dishes from traditional Indian delicacies to international cuisines prepared by almost 100 chefs.
The Significance of Jamnagar for this celebration
Jamnagar holds a special place in the hearts of the Ambani family for several reasons. It is not just a location but it is a part of their history and heritage. It is the birthplace of Anant’s grandmother, Kokilaben Ambani, and the first place where Reliance Industries was started by Dhirubhai Ambani, Anant’s grandfather.
Anant himself shared that his father often refers to Jamnagar as his grandfather’s in-laws’ place, showing the family’s emotional connection to the city, making it a natural choice for hosting the pre-wedding celebrations.
Moreover, Anant also announced the start of the wildlife preservation project called Vantara within Reliance’s Jamnagar Refinery Complex. Named ‘Star of the Forest,’ this project aims to be the world’s largest zoo and rehabilitation center.
“When it came to my youngest son, Anant’s wedding with Radhika, I had two important wishes. First I wanted to celebrate our roots. Jamnagar holds a special place in our hearts and has a profound significance. Gujarat is where we come from. It is where Mukesh and his father built the refinery and I started my career by converting this arid and desert-like area into a lush green township and a vibrant community,” Nita Ambani said.
Guests at the Pre-Wedding Bash: A Star-Studded Event
The pre-wedding celebration of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant was nothing short of a star-studded event, featuring guests from around the world. One of the biggest highlights of the evening was the performance by global pop icon Rihanna who sang her famous songs like “Diamonds” and “We Found Love In A Hopeless Place.”
“It was the best, can’t wait to come back to India, baby,” the pop star Rihanna said on performing at the Ambani wedding. When asked if she liked her stay here, she said, “I loved it.”
Representing Bollywood, the event was attended by iconic actors like Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt, the Bachchan family, Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Kapoor and many more.
However, the list did not just stop at Bollywood, as international guests like Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Sundar Pichai, and Ivanka Trump attended the pre-wedding celebration. Some other notable guests from the sports industry were MS Dhoni with wife Sakshi, Dwayne Bravo, Sachin Tendulkar, former India pacer Zaheer Khan, current India captain Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, besides many more. Other important figures from the Indian industry were fellow billionaires Gautam Adani and Kumar Mangalam Birla.
Increased Buzz From Jamnagar AirportTop of Form
As guests are flying from all over the world to Jamnagar, Gujarat to attend the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, the airport is now filled with VIP guests. To properly receive the guests, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) granted special permission for the airport to handle international flights from February 26 to March 6 to make sure that all the guests have a smooth arrival.
“From February 26 to March 3, we have handled 4,500 passengers in arrival as well as departure,” Jamnagar Airport Director DK Singh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The AAI also expanded the passenger building from 475 sq m to 900 sq m, increasing its capacity by almost double to accommodate 360 passengers comfortably. Additionally, the airport staff received 35 new housekeeping personnel who joined the existing team of 16. The state government also doubled the number of security personnel from 35 to 70, making sure that all the guests have a safe experience.
“Being a small airport, we are having a historical moment as we have been serving international flights since February 26, with CIQ (Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine) clearance,” Singh was quoted as saying by PTI.