Anant Ambani, the youngest son of moguls Mukesh and Nita Ambani is all set to tie the knot with Radhika Merchant, daughter of business tycoon, Viren and Shaila Merchant on July 12, 2024 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Before the lavish wedding, the happy couple kicked off the celebrations with a traditional pre-wedding ceremony called Mameru or Mosalu. Held at the Ambani residence in the Maximum City, the occasion was steeped in rich Gujarati culture and customs.
What exactly is the Gujarati Mameru ceremony?
The Gujarati word, Mameru loosely translates to mama or maternal uncle. As the name suggests, the age-old custom involves the bride-to-be’s uncles gifting her clothes, jewellery and sweets to add on to her bridal trousseau. These presents, also known as Mameru, symbolise the bride-to-be’s maternal family’s blessings and as a way to pamper her as he embarks on a new journey. This pre-wedding ceremony generally takes place at the bride or groom's house. Mameru is similar to the Chunni ceremony in Punjab, Teeka ceremony in Uttarakhand, Sakhar Puda in Maharashtra and Aiburobhat in West Bengal among others.
Radhika in a custom Manish Malhotra outfit
The bride dressed the part by tightly holding on to her rich Gujarati roots for the traditional ceremony. She was a vision in a custom pink and orange lehenga by Manish Malhotra, which was a stylish tribute to her culture. According to the designer, her rani pink lehenga is made using 35 metres of pure Bandhini fabric. This ancient tie-dye art of Bandhini finds its origins in Gujarat and its Gharchola version is often worn by traditional Gujarati brides for the wedding ceremony. That’s not all, the lehenga featured real gold zari work which was further enhanced with shlokas that pay homage to the nine goddesses of Navratri. Radhika’s vintage koti blouse was detailed with metallic thread work and Swarovski tassels. A long dupatta, draped in a Gujarati pallu, completed her styling.
In the most meaningful way to incorporate “something old” into her “something new”, Radhika accessorised her ensemble with heirloom jewels that her mother, Shaila Viren Merchant wore at her own Mausalu ceremony decades ago.
Anant dazzled in a watch worth over a million pounds
The groom twinned with his bride in a kurta and bandi. But Anant, who is known for his impressive watch collection with the rarest and finest timepieces, didn’t hold back from elevating his humble orange outfit with a watch that came with a staggering price tag of over £1124100 for the Mameru ceremony. He sported a lavish Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked timepiece, encased in 18-carat pink gold with 436 baguette-cut diamonds.
Nita Ambani wore a pink Sabyasachi lehenga
Like always, Nita Ambani exuded royalty in a Sabyasachi lehenga. The brocade skirt featured kalis in different shades of pink and was enhanced with intricate golden zari work that added opulence. The exquisite motifs on the borders were complemented by beautiful floral patterns, enhanced further with gems bejewelled on the outfit. It was paired with an embroidered blouse and a gorgeous Bandhini dupatta with a rich zardozi border. As you can expect, Nita showcased her timeless time and refined taste with jewellery to match. Nita accessorised with an exquisite diamond necklace featuring a huge emerald-studded centrepiece. The necklace was perfectly paired with matching earrings and two diamond kadas.
The Ambani family was seen dancing with joy
The Ambanis couldn’t hold their happiness with everyone dressing the part in shades of orange and pink. Akash Ambani, the groom’s elder brother, opted for a coral Anamika Khanna kurta and bundi set, twinning with his father Mukesh and his wife Shloka who chose an orange lehenga.
The groom’s sister stood out in a custom orange Arpita Mehta ruffle sari, also made with Bandhini and featuring mirror, thread and cut danna hand embroidery. Statement uncut diamond jewellery completed her look. Her beautiful daughters were spotted dancing at the celebrations.
The celebrity guests
Of course, the guest list was as star-studded as you can imagine. The guests also showed up in keeping with the theme. Two-time Khush cover girl Janhvi Kapoor opted for an orange Arpita Mehta lehenga with Ari embroidery. She accessorised her look a statement Hazoorilal Legacy’s Fiona Tourmaline Choker Necklace Set with whopping 23-carat diamonds and 284-carat semi-precious stones. She made her way to the occasion with rumoured boyfriend Shikhar Pahariya.
Former Miss World and actress Manushi Chhillar in a burnt orange Faabiiana sari. Also, spotted at the event were actors Meezaan, Veer Pahariya and many other guests. Social media star Orry showed up in a blue Mrunalini Rao ensemble.