Isha Ambani-Anand Piramal to have a Rs. 700 crore wedding
Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal's wedding ceremonies are adding legitimacy to the phrase 'big fat Indian wedding'. Daughter of Mukesh Ambani, the business tycoon and Asia's richest man, Isha will marry Anand, son of the billionaire Ajay Piramal on December 12. Their wedding is estimated to cost around a whopping $100 million (Rs. 700 cr), making it a true spectacle to behold.
For those unaware, part of the ceremonies have taken place in Udaipur. Reports suggest more than 100 aeroplanes were chartered to ferry guests to and from the Maharana Pratap Airport and 5 five-star hotels were booked by Ambanis and Piramals to accommodate the illustrious guests including the likes of Beyonce and Hillary Clinton. Notably, a war room in Mumbai is handling logistics.
While Udaipur hosted part of the ceremonies, the main wedding will be at Ambani's Mumbai residence, the 27-storey Antilia. After wedding festivities in the city, the newlyweds will move into the $64 million diamond themed mansion at Gulita building, Mumbai.
In a praiseworthy move, the Ambanis decided to display their gratitude to the city of Udaipur for letting their families host the ceremony. As a result, they set up a bazaar, showcasing 108 traditional Indian paintings, besides other local artisans' art and pottery. More importantly, they donated enough food for feeding three meals to 5,100 people for four days.
The week-long wedding extravaganza, to be held in India, could be among the world's most expensive weddings coming close to the royal wedding between Prince Charles and Princess Diana, 37 years ago, which, in today's dollars, cost $110 million.
The extravagance might be a sign of fatherly affection, as Isha is Mukesh's only daughter. Even the invitations cost Rs. 3 lakh each. On the other hand, Mumbai is infamous for its slums and some money could have gone into social upliftment rather than the extravagant wedding. Then again, perhaps the harsh realities of the street are difficult to see from 27-storeyed luxury homes.
