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Rihanna on stage alongside the bride, groom, members of the Ambani family and other guests. (Reliance Industries/Handout/Reuters via CNN Newsource)
By Oscar Holland, CNN
(CNN) — Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Ivanka Trump were among the high-profile international figures who jetted to India for billionaire heir Anant Ambani’s extravagant pre-wedding party, which wrapped up Sunday.
Featuring performances from pop superstar Rihanna and magician David Blaine, the three-day celebration welcomed around 1,200 guests from Silicon Valley, Bollywood and beyond, with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and actor Shah Rukh Khan among the many Indian celebrities pictured in attendance.
Ambani is the youngest son of Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, who has an estimated fortune of $117 billion, according to Forbes. The 28-year-old serves as a director at an energy business operated by Reliance, the Indian conglomerate founded by his grandfather.
Although Ambani and his 29-year-old girlfriend Radhika Merchant are not due to marry until July, no expense was spared at the lavish pre-wedding bash. Guests were served 500 dishes created by around 100 chefs, according to Reuters, which saw a copy of a planning document provided to invitees.
The weekend’s festivities took place in Jamnagar, in the western state of Gujarat, close to Reliance’s main oil refinery.
The city’s airport, which typically handles fewer than 10 flights a day, reported a surge in activity. In a post on X Saturday, airport authorities said around 130 flights had arrived for the extravaganza.
Chartered jets from New Delhi and Mumbai were made available to guests, Reuters said, as were the services of hair stylists, makeup artists and drapists.
The charitable arm of the Ambani’s family business, the Reliance Foundation, said that weavers had been deployed to produce “a tapestry of dreams” for the nuptials, while visually impaired artisans had been hired to make candles for guests.
A new Hindu temple complex is being built specifically for the wedding and will later be opened to the public, the NGO added.
On Wednesday, the Ambani family hosted a communal dinner for more than 50,000 villagers.
The-CNN-Wire
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