Radhika's Shrinathji lehenga to Nita's Gayatri Mantra saree: Times the Ambani women turned out wrapped in religion
While the Ambani women have no doubt served one fire fit after the next over past 5 months of celebrations, 3 in particular have stood out for a unique reason
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding festivities, clocking in at an extravagant 5 months, concluded with their grand reception ceremony in Mumbai on July 14. Not just Radhika, but mother-in-law Nita Ambani and sisters-in-law Isha Ambani and Shloka Mehta, too put their best fashion foot forward. While each of their looks have already been extensively decoded by the internet, 3 in particular, stand out for a unique reason.
The Ambani family's deeply religious side is well-known. These following looks from Radhika, Isha and Nita, don't just stand as testament to the same, but also make for shining examples of exquisite Indian craftsmanship.
Nita Ambani's Gayatri Mantra saree
Between July 2 and July 5, just ahead of Anant and Radhika's wedding rituals commencing, the Ambani family hosted a Samuh Vivah, or a mass wedding for over 50 underprivileged couples from the Palghar area between Gujarat and Mumbai. The entire family was in attendance for the same to see the couples get wed. Nita for obvious reasons, stood out. The philanthropist kept it simple and elegant in a red Banarasi saree laced with sparse, but statement golden details. What really caught everyone's attention, were embroidered inscriptions of the Gayatri Mantra wrapping around the length of the saree. A Guttapusalu necklace and her signature gajra-adorned bun, completed the look.
On a separate note, before several guests such as Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, turned out for Anant and Radhika's nuptials in red indicating quite the shift in wedding etiquette, it's safe to say here that Nita did it first!
Isha Ambani's Bhagvad Gita-inscribed lehenga
On July 9, the Ambani's hosted a Graha Shanti Puja before they entered the main leg of the wedding celebrations. Isha, sister-of-the-groom, opted to adorn as theme-appropriate an ensemble as there possibly could be. Styled by Anaita Shroff Adajania, Isha's exquisite and elaborate lehenga was hand-crafted by Delhi Vintage Co, based out of Mehrauli. The primary inspiration for Isha's mustard and maroon-hued lehenga was The Tree of Life. The brainstorming session to zero in on the final details were long, with Isha having approved the design herself.
Carrying history and legacy across its volume, an absolute highlight was the border which had a shloka from the Bhagavad Gita written on it, reading, 'Karmanye Vadhikaraste, Ma Phaleshu Kada Chana'. This roughly translates to, 'You have the right to perform your actions, but you are not entitled to the fruits of the actions'. Additional visual details of course include the Tree of Life with Nandis sitting under it, complete with a Temple on one side and birds on the other. For trivia's sake, this lehenga took an astonishing 4000 man hours to make.
Radhika Merchant's Shrinathji-printed lehenga
Radhika has been styled by Rhea Kapoor for the length of her pre-wedding and wedding festivities. Part of the lineup of events was the garba night, also held on July 9. Taking cue from sister-in-law Isha, Radhika's lehenga was an homage to the Ambani's family deity, Shrinathji.
The Jigyam lehenga featured a dark purple, laced with golden embroidery. What stood out the most, were the intricated Shrinathji motifs above the lehenga border, the arms of the choli as well as the net dupatta, complete with a broad gota patti border.
Which of these looks were your favourite?