The Ambani wedding has been the talk of the town for its extravaganza, but was it all about that? It’s time we explore how the Ambanis celebrated ‘India’ in their wedding.
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant tied the knot in a grand wedding on July 12, 2024 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. The ceremony was attended by a multitude of guests from all over the world and screamed grandeur and luxury in every sense of the word. With pre-wedding festivities that spanned over a year, the wedding festivities that spanned over half a year and now with the post-wedding shenanigans, the Ambanis have left no stone unturned to make this wedding the ‘wedding of the decade.’
While we were quick to analyse the show of luxury and wealth displayed by the billionaire family, we also need to acknowledge the weightage they gave to India and its art during their entire wedding.
Now, it’s time to see how the Ambanis celebrated ‘India’ through their wedding:
Wedding Theme
The theme for the wedding between Anant and Radhika was an ‘Ode to Kashi.’ Paying homage to the traditions, spirituality, art and crafts, the entire wedding venue looked like a mini version of the city with traditional arches, idols of Hindu gods and goddesses, ghats, and floral decorations.
Wedding Food
Dedicated guest services and carefully curated stalls ensured that the guests had the best experience amidst the ghats of Banaras. The flavours of Banaras were indulged in the famous Banarasi chaat, mithai, lassi, chai, khari, and paan and mukhwas.
Wedding Shops and Music
The entire Ambani wedding boasted of shops offering the traditional luxuries of Varanasi from the Banarasi silk and Kanjeevaram sarees to the meticulously crafted ittars, rosewood furniture and polki jewellery. Additionally, throughout the wedding venue were stationed artists performing Indian classical music, resembling the chanting of Indian music across the streets of Varanasi.
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Wedding Outfits
The entire Ambani clan wore outfits that were an ode to Indian culture and craftsmanship. Especially the family matriarch, Nita Ambani who was spotted in traditional outfits on several occasions that were a product of traditional Indian threadwork. Nita wore a number of sarees that included traditional work of zari, zardozi, naqshi, saadi and were a collaboration between Swadesh and designers like Manish Malhotra and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. The billionaire wife was spotted in Banarasi silk sarees on multiple occasions.
Not only this, the family honoured the Hindu religion as well. From Radhika’s Garba Night Lehenga having motifs of Lord Shrinathji to Anant’s Bundi Jacket handpainted by the artisans of Bhilwara with inspirations from the age-old pichwai paintings from the Nathdwara Temple in Rajasthan, where Anant proposed to Radhika.
Wedding Gifts
While the Ambani family gave away branded gifts like Versace sunglasses during the wedding. They also paved the way for Indian artistry and artists with their gifting. The family included candles made by visually impaired artisans from Mahabaleshwar in their gifting. Additionally, the Silver Filigree of Karimnagar (SIFKA) Handicrafts Welfare Society, representing the skilled artisans, bagged an order for a range of silver filigree artefacts through Reliance Retail’s Swadesh store.
These artefacts were expected to be given to the high profile guests attending the wedding from all over the globe, as per sources. During the pre-wedding as well, the Ambani family gifted bespoke dupattas to their guests which were made by skilled women artisans from Kutch and Lalpur. These dupattas were a combination of Gujarati Bandhani and Maharashtrian Paithani, made in a centre started by entrepreneur Vimal Majethiya in Rajkot.
Indian Traditions
A highlight of the wedding celebrations was the “Dashaavatar,” an immersive audio-visual journey depicting Lord Vishnu’s 10 avatars, symbolising India’s profound spiritual history. The entire wedding has traditional floral decorations with statues of Hindu gods and goddesses, and temple architecture. The traditional Gujarati wedding ceremonies were each ceremoniously completed and priests were there to guide the family through rituals. Additionally, the family seeked blessings of spiritual gurus post the marriage with Jagadguru Rambhadracharya, Swami Avdeshanand Giri, Rameshbhai Oza, Vishal Rakesh Ji Goswami, and others being invited to shower the newly married couple with blessings.
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The Ambani wedding has not only showcased the wealth of Indian traditions and culture but also given it a boost in the best possible way. What better way there is to introduce the world to Indian art than a wedding!
