The son of Asia’s richest man tied the knot with his fiancée this weekend, attracting global attention with the lavish celebrations surrounding this grand “wedding of the year.” Many are curious as to why Indians place such importance on marriage ceremonies.
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, saw his youngest son Anant Ambani marry his girlfriend of several years, Radhika Merchant, the daughter of Viren Merchant, the owner of Encore Healthcare, on Friday, July 12th.
This extravagant wedding, dubbed the “wedding of the year” by many, took place at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai and the Ambani family home, marking the culmination of months of wedding celebrations.
The four-day wedding festivities began with traditional Indian marriage rituals on Friday, followed by grand receptions that lasted throughout the weekend. Reports from local media revealed a guest list that included former UK Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin H. Nasser, and football legend David Beckham, among others.
Mukesh, aged 66, boasts a fortune of $120 billion and used this occasion to showcase the splendor of Indian weddings to the world, sparking curiosity about why Indian culture places such emphasis on weddings.
Priya Suglani, founder of London-based events and wedding planning company Pristine Events, explained to CNBC Make It that Indian traditions and culture are rooted in family values that unite everyone, making weddings grand events.
“It’s a very family-oriented culture that includes everyone, which is the real reason behind their (wedding) grandeur,” Suglani said.
Indian Prime Minister Modi also attended Anant’s wedding celebrations on Saturday, July 13th, and personally participated in some ceremonies to offer blessings to the newlyweds.
Furthermore, according to Karishma Manwani, a luxury Indian wedding planner based in London, Indian weddings appear grand because Indians often have large families, hold various religious and cultural events, and adorn themselves in colorful attire and jewelry.
“Everyone enters adorned in splendid attire and shining jewelry, filling the space with energy,” Manwani said in an interview with CNBC Make It. In Indian culture, weddings and funerals are significant events, and no one would refuse an invitation.
Another crucial reason for Indians placing such importance on weddings is their deep respect for guests, Manwani explained. Clients often express the desire for guests to have the best time without any worries, considering the effort people make to attend.
“Weddings are the only chance in your life to give back to everyone because you have been invited to so many weddings, to so many people’s homes, where you were taken care of meticulously,” Manwani added.
As part of the celebrations, the Ambani family also organized a collective wedding for over fifty economically disadvantaged couples on July 2nd.
Apart from the grand four-day wedding, Mukesh’s months-long luxurious pre-wedding celebrations for Anant also captivated onlookers, including a three-day event held in Jamnagar, Gujarat, the Ambani’s hometown, with 1,200 guests attending, including elites like Mark Zuckerberg and Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan.
Guests reportedly enjoyed 2,000 dishes, watched performances by singer Rihanna, and visited the Ambani family’s wildlife sanctuary, as per BBC reports.
Subsequently, the couple and guests embarked on a cruise across the Mediterranean, followed by another pre-wedding party in Mumbai where singer Justin Bieber delivered a spectacular performance. During the traditional Sangeet Ceremony, both the groom and bride’s families performed dances for the guests.