"the families exchanged gifts and greetings, bonhomie and fun"
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant got formally engaged in a Gol Dhana, which is a Gujarati pre-wedding ceremony.
The ceremony took place in front of close friends and family at the Ambani’s Antilla residence in Mumbai.
It was a star-studded affair, with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra attending.
Antilla was decked up for the ceremony, with adornments all over the building.
For the ceremony, Radhika wore a golden lehenga that was adorned with intricate details.
Meanwhile, her husband-to-be Anant was dressed in a royal blue ensemble.
In a statement, the Ambani family said:
“Age-old traditions such as the Gol Dhana and Chunari Vidhi – followed since generations among Gujarati Hindu families – were conducted with great enthusiasm in the family temple and ceremony areas even as the families exchanged gifts and greetings, bonhomie and fun and were treated to a surprise performance by Ambani family members, led by Nita Ambani, Anant’s mother.”
Earlier in the day, Isha Ambani and other members of her family went to Radhika’s residence and invited the family for the evening functions.
The Ambanis received the Merchant family at their home.
The families followed Anant and Radhika to the temple. At the engagement ceremony venue, functions started with a Ganesh Puja followed by the reading of the traditional Lagan Patrika or the invitation for their wedding.
Isha announced the commencement of the ceremony, after which Anant and Radhika exchanged rings.
The couple had their Roka ceremony in December 2022 and in a company release shared by Reliance Industries Limited said that the “young couple spent the day at the temple seeking Lord Shrinathji’s blessings for their upcoming union”.
At the mehendi ceremony, Radhika looked gorgeous in a vibrant pink lehenga as she smiled for the camera.
Anant is the younger son of Mukesh and Nita Ambani.
He graduated from Brown University in the United States and has since served at Reliance Industries in various capacities including, as a member on the Boards of Jio Platforms and Reliance Retail Ventures. He currently leads the energy business of RIL.
Meanwhile, Radhika Merchant is the daughter of Shaila and Viren Merchant.
She pursued her graduation from New York University and currently serves as a Director on the Board of Encore Healthcare.
The couple have known each other for several years.