Wedding of India tycoon Ambani’s son begins

After months of celebrations, the wedding ceremony of the son of Asia’s richest man is finally underway in the Indian city of Mumbai.

Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, is tying the knot with Radhika Merchant, daughter of pharma tycoons Viren and Shaila Merchant.

The four-day wedding extravaganza is the final stop in a string of lavish parties the family has hosted since March.

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and former UK PM Tony Blair are among the international guests attending the ceremony.

On Friday, the groom set off from his residence in a luxurious red car covered in strings of white flowers, as joyful guests danced around it.

A convoy of cars, also decorated with flowers and carrying family members, followed him amid music and cheers.

The grand procession, known as the baraat, culminated at the wedding venue – a convention centre owned by the family.

There, the family gathered for another round of singing and dancing along with several Bollywood celebrities.

Also spotted in the crowd was legendary wrestler John Cena, who was seen hugging and congratulating family members of the host.

Report say the bride and the groom will exchange garlands to kick off the wedding. The pheras – the main wedding ritual of the couple walking around the sacred fire seven times – is set for 21:30 (1600GMT).

Key roads in the city are sealed off for several hours a day until the festivities end on Monday.

Social media is awash with updates on the wedding, with people sharing minute-by-minute details of Bollywood stars and celebrities arriving to take part in the festivities.

A formal ceremony where the guests will bless the newly-weds will reportedly take place on Saturday, followed by a grand party where unconfirmed reports say pop stars Drake, Lana Del Ray and Adele are likely to perform.

The months of lavish celebrations have already featured performances by popstars like Rihanna and Justin Bieber.

But it has also led to backlash – city dwellers have complained of traffic snarls, while others have questioned the ostentatious display of wealth at the seemingly never-ending celebrations.

On Friday, the city witnessed heavy rains with waterlogging reported in some parts.

Mukesh Ambani, 66, is at present the world’s 10th richest man with a net worth of $115bn, according to Forbes. Reliance Industries, founded by his father in 1966, is a massive conglomerate that operates in sectors ranging from petroleum and retail, to financial services and telecoms.

Anant Ambani is the youngest of his three children, all of whom are on the board of Reliance Industries. The 29-year-old is involved in Reliance’s energy businesses and is on the board of Reliance Foundation.

On Friday, the couple will get married in a traditional Hindu ceremony at the Jio World Convention Centre.

Reports say the family will host a grand reception at the weekend, before a final reception for their household staff on Monday.

Pictures and videos of Kim Kardashian, who is in the city with her sister Khloé Kardashian, are being widely shared online.

Reports say the sisters have brought a team of stylists, including celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, along with a group of producers to capture every detail of their trip.

Former Indian president Ram Nath Kovind, British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron and US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti are also in the city to attend the wedding.

Mumbai police have labelled the wedding a “public event” since it would be attended by several international and Indian VIPs, reports Reuters news agency.

The city police has also imposed traffic restrictions around the venue.

From Friday to Monday, roads around the convention centre will be open only for “event vehicles” between 13:00 India time (07:30 GMT) to midnight, it said.

Rajan Mehra, CEO of air charter company Club One Air, told Reuters that the family had rented three Falcon-2000 jets to ferry wedding guests to the event.

“The guests are coming from all over and each aircraft will make multiple trips across the country,” he said.

The restrictions have sparked anger among the city residents who say they are already struggling with traffic jams and monsoon flooding.

The wedding festivities began in March when the family held a three-day pre-wedding party in their home state of Gujarat.

Among the 1,200 guests to attend the celebration were international celebrities, politicians, and members of the business world – including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft’s Bill Gates.

The party started with a performance by Rihanna on the first night. Diljit Dosanjh, the first Punjabi singer to perform at Coachella, took the stage on the second night, while rapper Akon closed the show on the final day of celebrations.

In June, the Ambanis organised another pre-wedding celebration, this time, a luxury cruise from Italy to France. The Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry and Pitbull performed for the 800 guests, which included Bollywood stars and cricketers.

Then came the final round of celebrations, which began earlier this week when Bieber landed in Mumbai.

Social media has been flooded with photos and videos of him singing in front of an ecstatic audience.

Money was also lavished on constructing 14 temples inside a sprawling complex in Jamnagar to showcase India’s cultural heritage and provide a backdrop for the wedding. As part of the celebrations, the Ambanis hosted a mass wedding for 50 underprivileged couples too.

On Wednesday, the family hosted a bhandara – a community feast for underprivileged people.

The Ambanis have not revealed how much this wedding is costing them but wedding planners estimate they’ve already spent anywhere between 11bn and 13bn rupees [$132m-$156m]. It was rumoured Rihanna had been paid $7m (£5.5m) for her performance, while the figure suggested for Bieber is $10m.