TravTalk India Online Magazine
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding bash sets tone for Gujarat’s Jamnagar to shine on the world stage. The three-day event grabbed eyeballs not only from India but from the world, making Jamnagar a must-visit place in India.
Surbhi Sharma
The pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani, youngest son of Reliance Chairperson Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant, daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant, in Gujarat’s Jamnagar in March grabbed global attention, with who’s who from across the globe present to bless the twosome. To welcome the international guests, the city’s airport, which is primarily an Indian Air Force base, was turned temporarily into an international airport for 10 days. “The airport handled 4,500 passengers from 26 February to 3 March. There have been 350 domestic and 86 international flight movements. A huge number of international passengers had arrived for the event,” said DK Singh, Director, Jamnagar Airport.
Vantara, a ticket to augment footfall
Spread over an area of 3,000 acres, Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation unveiled an animal welfare initiative ‘Vantara’ (Star of the Forest) in Reliance’s Jamnagar Refinery Complex in Gujarat. Brainchild of Anant Ambani, the first of its kind effort is a non-profit project that aims to rescue, treat, care, and rehabilitate injured or abandoned animals both in India and overseas. “Vantara is a combination of the age-old ethical value of compassion with the excellence of modern scientific and technological professionalism,” said Anant Ambani, while talking about the ambitious project.The state of the art zoological park, which will be opened to the public “soon”, has the potential to attract both domestic and international visitors, as it offers adventure and wildlife tourism.
Indian vendors shine at Jamnagar jamboree
Reliance Foundation Chairperson and Anant Ambani’s mother Nita Ambani relied on local artisans, designers, and service providers for the arrangements. VIP guests were housed in luxury tents at the Reliance Greens Complex, equipped with lounge areas, living-cum-master bedrooms, dressing rooms, and washrooms. These temporary accommodations hosted VIP guests from various parts of the world. The 900-sq ft luxurious Rajwadi tents were created by Evoke Experiences.
Speaking on the same, Bhavik Sheth, COO, Evoke Experiences, said, “We created about 60-62 luxury accommodations and the size of the tents was 900-sq ft with all the luxurious amenities. We took inspiration from the luxury suites that we created in Rann Utsav, the tent city in Dhordo, Kutch.” Sharing more details, he added, “We are known for creating luxury in remote locations where it is
very difficult to construct a building or a hotel in a very short period. All the tents were luxurious. The facilities, furniture, and the bathroom amenities were equivalent as that of 5-star hotels. The overall feedback and the arrangements were appreciated by everyone who stayed there and the management team of Ambani was quite happy with the facilities we created.”
Sheth believes that events like these would open new doors for them. “People see an alternative for luxury accommodation at hotels and resorts. We can tap events in remote locations of India where there are not good accommodation facilities,” he shared.
Potential M!CE destination Known as the small ‘Paris of Gujarat’, Jamnagar has become the epicentre of a monumental event, and is today a potential M!CE destination. For the grand celebration, the Ambani family also facilitated the construction of new temples within a sprawling temple complex in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
