Nita Ambani explains the significance of Kanyadaan at Anant-Radhika’s wedding

The wedding celebrations of Anant the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani and Radhika the daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant were held at Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai and it was a blend of opulence and traditionThe wedding ceremony was attended by a host of international celebrities and highprofile guests from various fieldsIt proved to be the biggest gathering of religious and spiritual leaders in recent memoryThe visuals from the wedding rituals show the firm faith of Ambani family in Indian traditions and cultureReliance Foundation Founder and Chairperson Nita Ambani explained the broader significance of Kanyadaan as a union where two families come together one gaining a son and the other a daughterShah Rukh Khan Amitabh Bachchan MS Dhoni Kim Kardashian and many others were present to witness the wedding ritualsSpeaking just before the Kanyadaan ceremony during Anant and Radhikarsquos wedding she underscored the importance of daughters in Hindu culture and highlighted the strongly selfreforming nature of Hindu philosophy which has enabled women to be adored and respected through timeShe said ldquoAt this moment I am overwhelmed with emotions joy gratitude and deep devotion as I watch these two pieces of my heart Anant and Radhika unite in this eternal bond In Hindu tradition marriage is a solemn promise not just for this lifetime but for seven lifetimes Itrsquos a belief that souls destined to find each other do so again and again their love deepening with each lifetime As we continue with the Vivaah Sanskar the wedding ceremony we are about to witness the noblest of all acts in Indian culture the Kanyadaan commonly signifying the giving away of the bride by her parentsrdquoOn talking about the significance of kanyadaan and the importance of women in a family she shared ldquoAs a daughter myself as the mother of a daughter and also a motherinlaw I know that no parent can ever give away their daughters Daughters are lifersquos biggest blessings and greatest joys They are manifestations of Goddess Lakshmi bringing abundance and auspiciousness to our homes and lives from the time they are born They are the purest part of our souls intertwined with our very beinghellipA daughter is not a possession to be transferred She is a blessing to be cherished and treasuredhelliprdquoldquoAn Indian wedding rests on the foundation of perfect equality between var and kanya between groom and bride and also between their two families Hence the true cultural significance of kanyadaan is that the bridersquos parents accept the groom as their son and entrust his family with their precious daughterrdquo she addedShe conveyed a message to Radhika Merchantrsquos parents Viren Merchant and Shaila Viren Merchant ldquoMy dearest Shaila and Viren today you are not giving away your daughter to us Rather you are gaining a son and a new familyrdquoAnant Ambani and Radhika Merchantrsquos wedding celebration proved to be a lavish affair and was attended by the whorsquos who of the business political and entertainment worlds The visuals from the wedding celebration make it one of the most memorable and magnificent events Several politicians and eminent personalities attended the grand celebrationAnant the youngest son of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Radhika the daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant exchanged vows in a spectacular wedding ceremony attended by a host of international celebrities and highprofile guests from various fields on July 12Shubh Aashirvaad followed the event on July 13 with a grand reception on July 14 The Ambani family also hosted a reception for the media and Reliance employees on July 15Prime Minister Narendra Modi graced the Shubh Aashirvaad ceremony of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant They touched his feet as he gave the newlyweds his blessingsFormer President Ram Nath Kovind and his family also attended the ceremonyPoliticians like Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Samajwadi Party Chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and others were also among the emminent guestsDeputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Ajit Pawar graced the lsquoShubh Aashirwadrsquo ceremony of Anant Ambani and Radhika MerchantThe ceremony attended by a starstudded guest list from Bollywood business and politics featured luminaries like Shah Rukh Khan Gauri Khan Salman Khan Alia Bhatt Ranbir Kapoor Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh among othersThe UKrsquos former Prime Minister Boris Johnson former US Secretary of State John Kerry the UKrsquos Ambassador to India Alex Ellis and the US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti graced the occasion among many othersJoining Boris Johnson were other notable figures including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and American boxing legend Mike Tyson both of whom were spotted arriving at a private airport in MumbaiAmerican reality TV stars Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian were also part of the wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in MumbaiThe ceremony marked by the presence of spiritual delegates several political dignitaries and celebrities showcased a blend of tradition and modernityRadhika Merchant continued to captivate throughout the festivities with her style and grace For her vidaai ceremony following her marriage in a traditional ivory and red lehenga by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla Radhika opted for a stunning sindoori red ensemble crafted by Manish Malhotra The ensemble was completed with a Banarasi silk dupatta and a veil cascading into a dramatic train creating a picture of timeless eleganceAdding to her regal appearance were heirloom jewellery pieces passed down through generations embellished with gold diamonds and emeraldsEach accessory from the choker to the mang tika contributed to Radhikarsquos majestic presence on her special dayThe Ambani family hosted a lsquoShubh Aashirwadrsquo ceremony on July 13 marking another chapter in their lavish celebrations with prominent personalities like Shah Rukh Khan Gauri Khan Salman Khan Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor gracing the occasionFor Shubh Aashirwadrsquos look Radhika wore a lehenga by designer Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla who collaborated with artist Jayasri Burman to make this masterpiece for the brideAnant and Radhikarsquos wedding celebrations continued with the lsquoMangal Utsavrsquo wedding reception on July 14 and the Ambani family hosted a reception for media and Reliance employees on July 15This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever