The selection of Jamnagar in Gujarat's Saurashtra region as the venue for the pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant has captured widespread attention.
The scenic locale of Jamnagar is currently aglow with preparations for extravagant celebrations, attracting a constellation of celebrities, both from India and abroad, to its enchanting ambiance.
Expected attendees include luminaries like Rihanna, Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Salman Khan, Gauri Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, and Saif Ali Khan, among others, who are all set to grace the opulent three-day event with their presence.
In a departure from the trend of opting for overseas destinations such as Tuscany, Santorini, or Bali, Anant Ambani has chosen to embrace an Indian setting for his special occasion, following in the footsteps of his siblings Aakash and Isha, who also celebrated their weddings and pre-wedding ceremonies within the country.
Explaining the rationale behind selecting Jamnagar as the venue, Anant Ambani cited two significant factors: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's impassioned plea to "Wed in India" and his personal affinity with Jamnagar.
Expressing his sentiments, Anant Ambani shared with India Today TV, "It's a matter of pride and happiness when our PM said that one should get married in India. I have grown up here, and it's my good fortune that we could plan the celebration here (Jamnagar). This is my dadi's janm bhoomi (birthplace) and my dada and papa's karm bhoomi (workplace)... And this is my home. My father often says that this is my dada's sasural (in-laws' house), so we are celebrating here. I also believe I am from Jamnagar, yahin ka nagarik hun."
Prime Minister Modi, in his Mann Ki Baat broadcast, expressed his lament over families opting for foreign destinations for weddings, emphasizing the importance of conducting ceremonies within India to retain economic resources within the country.
The 'Wed in India' campaign, akin to the Make in India initiative, seeks to capitalize on the flourishing wedding industry by promoting domestic celebrations.
The ongoing wedding season in India, extending from January 15 to July 15 is anticipated to witness over 42 lakh weddings nationwide, contributing approximately Rs 5.5 lakh crore to the economy through various wedding-related expenditures and services, according to a survey conducted by CAIT.
Delhi alone is projected to host more than 4 lakh weddings during this season, generating revenue of around Rs 1.5 lakh crore.
The wedding industry encompasses a wide array of services and vendors, including banquet halls, hotels, caterers, decorators, photographers, musicians, and transportation services, all of which experienced a surge in demand during this period.
Moreover, the wedding business is poised for further growth, fueled by increasing disposable incomes and a burgeoning young population ready to tie the knot.
As Indians increasingly opt for domestic destination weddings, locales like Goa, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and the Andaman Islands have emerged as favored choices.
The Ambanis' decision to host their celebrations in Jamnagar serves as a powerful endorsement of the 'Wed in India' campaign, encouraging other Indians to follow suit and bolstering the burgeoning wedding industry in the country.
