Asia’s richest man’s son tied the knot with his fiancée over the weekend, sparking 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 India’s conglomerate Reliance Industries, saw his younger son, Anant Ambani, marry his girlfriend of several years, Radhika Merchant, the daughter of Viren Merchant, owner of Encore Healthcare, on Friday (July 12).
This extravagant wedding, dubbed as the “wedding of the year” by many, took place at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai and the Ambani residence, serving as the climax of months of wedding festivities.
The four-day celebration kicked off with traditional Indian wedding rituals on Friday, followed by grand receptions throughout the weekend. The guest list reportedly included prominent figures like former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Boris Johnson, CEO of Saudi Aramco Amin H. Nasser, and football legend David Beckham, among others.
Mukesh, aged 66, with a wealth of $120 billion, used this opportunity to showcase the splendor of Indian weddings to the world, raising questions about why Indian culture places such emphasis on marriage.
Founder of London-based event and wedding planning company Pristine Events, Priya Suglani, explained to CNBC Make It, “Indian traditions and culture are built on family values, uniting everyone.”
“This is a very family-oriented culture that includes everyone, and that’s the real reason behind the grandeur of their weddings.”
Indian Prime Minister Modi also attended Anant’s wedding celebrations on Saturday (July 13), participating in some ceremonies to bless the newlyweds.
According to Karishma Manwani, a luxury wedding planner in London, Indian weddings are extravagant because Indians often have large families who host various religious and cultural events, adorned in colorful attire and jewelry, creating a spectacle.
“Everyone enters wrapped in beautiful attire and sparkling jewelry, making the space vibrant,” Manwani said in an interview with CNBC Make It. In Indian culture, weddings and funerals are significant events no one would decline to attend.
Another key reason for Indians’s reverence for weddings is their deep respect for guests.
Manwani stated, “The only requirement my clients have for me is, ‘My guests are traveling from afar. I want them to have the best time. I want them to be taken care of, I want them not to worry about a thing.'”
“A wedding is your only opportunity in a lifetime to give back to everyone because you’ve been invited to so many weddings, you’ve been to so many people’s homes and you’ve been taken care of meticulously,” Manwani added.
As part of the celebrations, the Ambani family hosted a mass wedding for over fifty underprivileged couples on July 2.
In addition to the four-day extravagant wedding, Mukesh’s months-long pre-wedding celebrations for Anant also captivated onlookers, including a three-day event held in Jamnagar, Gujarat, with 1,200 guests, attended by elites like Mark Zuckerberg and Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan, enjoying 2,000 dishes, Rihanna’s performance, and a visit to the Ambani family’s animal sanctuary.
Subsequently, the couple and guests sailed across the Mediterranean on a luxury cruise, followed by a pre-wedding bash in Mumbai where Justin Bieber performed. The traditional Sangeet Ceremony featured dance performances by the bride and groom’s families.