Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's youngest son Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant, got formally engaged on Thursday in the presence of close family members and friends.
“Age old traditions such as the Gol Dhana and Chunari Vidhi – followed since generations among Gujarati Hindu families – were conducted with great enthusiasm in the family temple and ceremony areas even as the families exchanged gifts and greetings, bonhomie and fun and were treated to a surprise performance by Ambani family members, led by Mrs. Nita Ambani, Anant’s mother,” the Ambanis said in a statement.
Gol Dhana—literally meaning jaggery and coriander seeds—is a pre-wedding ceremony in Gujarati traditions, akin to an engagement. These items are distributed at the groom’s place where the event takes place. The bride’s family comes at the groom’s residence with gifts and sweets and then the couple exchanges rings.
“The evening’s festivities started with members of the Ambani family led by Anant’s sister Isha going to the Merchant residence to invite them and Radhika to the evening’s functions. The Merchant family was received warmly by the Ambani family at their residence amidst Aarti and chanting of mantras,” the statement said.
Anant and Radhika later exchanged rings and sought blessings from the elders, it said.
While Anant studied at Brown University in the US, Radhika is a graduate of New York University. Anant is being groomed to take over the new energy business of oil-to-telecom-to-retail conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd run by his father. He is on the boards of Jio Platforms—the group's telecom and digital company, and Reliance Retail Ventures.
Ambanis have three children—twins Akash and Isha, and youngest son Anant.