A series of lavish events costing millions of dollars, attended by some of the world’s biggest stars in various fields, comes to an end today to celebrate the wedding of the son of Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani.
The wedding of the century, which began on Friday and ends today, was attended by some of the world’s biggest names, including Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Boris Johnson, Priyanka Chopra, Kim Kardashian and a few thousand others, at a 25-acre Mumbai convention centre owned by Mukesh where his son Anant’s wedding was being held.
However, some have criticised the conspicuous display of wealth amid worsening income inequality in India, where nearly half the population lives on less than $3.60 a day – the poverty line set by the World Bank.
Former Indian parliament member Shahid Siddiqui described the marriage on his X account on Sunday as “the most vulgar and ostentatious marriage ever.”
Former finance minister of the southern state of Kerala, Thomas Isaac, also criticised the amount spent on the wedding. “Legally it may be their money, but such spending and ostentation is a sin,” he wrote on Thursday.
The average Indian wedding can cost $33,000, and the celebrations last for days with a number of rituals and performances, according to a 2023 survey by wedding planning site WeddingWire.
But Mumbai wedding planner Bhavnesh Sawhney, who has organized some of Bollywood’s biggest weddings, said he estimates the wedding costs could be as high as $600 million, when factoring in pre-wedding parties, entertainment, catering and the bill for 5,000 staff.
“It’s the richest wedding ever. I don’t think any wedding in the world or anyone has spent that kind of money, in terms of expenses, size, events, entertainment, decor, design,” he said, according to NBC.
The Ambani family has built a reputation over the years for throwing lavish weddings. In 2018, when Mukesh Ambani’s daughter Isha Ambani got married, American superstar Beyoncé performed at the pre-wedding festivities. The guest list included former US secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and John Kerry.
But this time, the celebrations were more lavish, prompting police in the city of more than 20 million to redirect traffic around the venue.
Source: Arabic
