Reliance Industries owner Mukesh Ambani’s younger son Anant and fiancee Radhika Merchant prayed at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple on Wednesday. The visit came within a week since they got engaged. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant came for Guruvayurappan’s blessings before their marriage.
The entourage reached Sri Krishna College ground by helicopter and moved to the temple by road. Devaswom Chairman Dr. V K Vijayan and Administrator K P Vinayan welcomed the group at the Sreevalsam guest house. The Ambani scion and their close friends reached the Guruvayur temple in Thrissur around 1.30 pm.
Anant and Radhika prayed at the Sopanam (Sanctum Sanctorum) and had darshan along with the Devaswom administrators. Anant contributed to the temple Hundi (collection box). Vijayan presented a Prasada kit to both of them. A mural painting was also presented as a token of their appreciation.
After visiting the temple, the happy-looking couple reached Punnathur Elephant Kotta (Fort), where Guruvayurappan’s tuskers are housed. The couple were seen admiring a jumbo named Indra Sen and fed him bananas. Indra waited patiently and accepted the offerings happily. The group returned after spending some time there.
Anant and Radhika got engaged in Mumbai at a private function organized at Mukesh’s Mumbai Antilia residence on 19 January. Radhika is the daughter of Shaila and Viren Merchant, the CEO of Encore Healthcare. The future Ambani daughter-in-law is a New York University graduate with a degree in Economics and Political Science. Radhika is currently a director on the Board of Encore Healthcare.
Twenty-four-year-old Radhika is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She practiced Bharatiya classical dance and trained under Guru Bhavana Thakar from the Mumbai-based dance academy Shree Nibha Arts for eight years. Her Arangettam (first stage performance) ceremony was at Mumbai’s Jio World Center in May 2022.
Meanwhile, before reaching the Guruvayur temple, they also visited the Tirupati Venkateswara Tirumala Devasthanam temple. Both reportedly returned gratified after attending prayers and pujas.
Earlier, Radhika visited Guruvayur Temple when she accompanied Mukesh Ambani last September. The business tycoon also contributed 1.51 crore rupees to Annadanam (the sacred Hindu tradition of offering food) in Guruvayur. He paid the amount for the occasion of Guruvayur Ekadashi, observed on 4 December 2022.
