After covering the biggest wedding of the year, Rediff.com's Hitesh Harisinghani was invited to the reception specially held for the media.
The past few weeks have been abuzz with news about the Ambani wedding, an event that has captured the world's attention.
The festivities began on July 2 with a mass wedding and the celebrations are set to continue in London.
When the graceful Mrs Nita Ambani invited us, the media, to join the Mangal Aashirwad ceremony, I knew my partner for the evening had to be my mom, who had been following every detail of the wedding of the year on social media.
On the evening of Monday, July 15 -- after the Shubh Vivaah, Shubh Ashirwad and Mangal Utsav -- I asked my mom if she had any plans.
I told her we were going to a wedding.
"The Ambani wedding?!" she exclaimed. When I said yes, she was very excited. Of course, she was coming along!
Dressed in black, we hopped into a cab, hoping the city's traffic wouldn't delay us.
Our driver, overhearing our conversation, said, "Sir, aap log Ambani ki shaadi mein jaa rahe hai? Poore India mein is se badi shaadi kisi ki nahi hui hai (Are you going for the Ambani wedding? This is the biggest wedding ever in India)."
My mom and I couldn't agree more.
Our invitation, which had been e-mailed to us, needed to be scanned at the security checkpoint.
I've been to the Jio World Convention Centre many times but have never seen it as gorgeous as it was on Monday night.
The stunning decor, the street chaat and the kulhad ki chai transported us to Benaras, which was the theme of the evening.
After enjoying some chaat, we learnt that A R Rahman would be performing. It was my mom's first concert and who would want to miss the incomparable maestro?
Like a good son, I kept checking if she wanted to sit after each song but she refused, standing for eight straight songs, watching Mr Rahman perform with Mr Hariharan, Mr Sukhwinder Singh, Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Mohit Chauhan, Jonita Gandhi and many more.
See: A R Rahman and Sukhwinder Singh perform Jai Ho
We then watched Dashavatar, a 10-minute audio-visual about the 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu, created just for the wedding.
Narrated by Mr Amitabh Bachchan, the nearly 180-degree video and excellent sound system took the experience to another level, reminding me of the Dome screen at the IMAX theatre in Wadala, central Mumbai, where I had enjoyed seeing movies as a child.
The venue was a floral paradise; the giant animal sculptures, extravagant chandeliers and the larger-than-life structures were a visual treat to the eyes.
Artistes from various parts of the country performed and happily posed with guests for selfies.
We bumped into many photographer friends and their families, enjoying the chance to unwind at the biggest wedding in the country.
Although there was a long queue to meet the newlyweds, it only took about 10 minutes for us to reach them.
Anant and Radhika -- along with Isha Piramal Ambani's husband, Anand Piramal, and Shloka Ambani, Akash Ambani's wife -- greeted everyone with radiant smiles.
Dinner, which was served on the third floor of the convention centre, featured an incredible variety of cuisines -- Maharashtrian, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Asian and Italian.
Though I am an ardent foodie, I managed to taste only about 10 per cent of the menu.
The desserts were equally impressive, with over 20 types of Indian sweets, varieties of kulfi and waffles.
The wedding staff, who had been tirelessly working for more than 10 hours each day for the last three days, were incredibly patient and helpful, always with smiles on their faces.
They made everyone feel like it was their own family wedding.
We left with our stomachs and hearts full, carrying memories that will last a lifetime.
We wish Anant and Radhika a very happy married life!
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