Anant Ambani & Radhika Merchant get engaged, exchange rings after Gol Dhana & Chunari Vidhi ceremonies

The Ambanis and Merchants celebrate as Anant and Radhika formally get engaged on Thursday amidst family and friends.

Mukesh Ambani's youngest son Anant and industrialist Viren Merchant's daughter Radhika sought the blessing of Lord Krishna at the temple before beginning the ceremonies. The functions started with a Lord Ganesh puja followed by the reading of the traditional Lagan Patrika (wedding invitation).


Anant's sister and Reliance Retail director Isha Ambani visited the Merchant's residence to invite them to the evening’s functions. The engagement festivities started with welcoming the Merchants to the Ambani family residence, 'Antilia', amidst Aarti and chanting of mantras. The house was decorated with flowers and balloons.

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The Merchant family was treated to a surprise performance by Ambani family members, led by Anant’s mother and Reliance Foundation founder Nita.

Gol Dhana (jaggery and coriander seeds) - a traditional Gujarati engagement ceremony - is distributed at the groom's place, where the event takes place. The families exchanged gifts and greetings as part of the pre-wedding Gujarati traditions.

The couple exchanged the rings after the Gol Dhana and Chunari Vidhi ceremonies. After exchanging the rings, the couple sought blessings from the elders in the family.

The Ambanis posed for the shutterbugs after the ceremonies concluded.

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While the bride-to-be was a stunner in a gold glittering lehenga with intricate embroidery, the soon-to-be groom kept it classy in a navy blue kurta-pyjama with a matching embellished Nehru jacket.

The white-themed engagement saw Isha, who welcomed her twins last year with businessman husband Anand Piramal, opted for a chic white ensemble with chunky Kundan jewellery. New dad Anand was twinning with his better half in a white kurta-pyjama and a matching Nehru jacket.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani wore a silk gold kurta-pyjama with a matching Nehru jacket, and Mrs Ambani dazzled in a rose-gold saree - draped in Gujarati style - with heavy diamond jewellery.

Mother-of-one Shloka Mehta Ambani turned heads in a white, heavily-embellished lehenga, and Reliance Jio Telecom Chairman Akash Ambani wore a teal blue kurta with a matching Nehru jacket.

Anant and Radhika have known each other for a few years. The Ambani family statement didn't reveal the wedding date, but said that the nuptials will take place in the coming months.

Anant completed his studies at Brown University in the USA 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. Radhika is a graduate of New York University and serves as a Director on the Board of Encore Healthcare.