Pre-wedding festivities begin for the Ambanis, Parimals

With the second marriage from the Ambani's next on the line of high-profile weddings of this season, festivities have begun for Mukesh and Nita Ambani's daughter Isha Ambani, who is set to marry industrialist Anand Piramal on December 12.

The Ambani's have begun the celebrations in unique way by feeding 5,100 people, majority of them with special abilities, three times a day in Rajasthan's Udaipur. According to a family statement, the function, called "Anna Seva", will continue for four days, from December 7-10.

Family members, including Mukesh and Nita Ambani, Ajay and Swati Piramal, Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal were present at the Anna Seva function, serving people and interacting with them.

A specially curated exhibit called the Swadesh Bazaar that will showcase 108 traditional Indian Crafts and art forms from different regions of the country is also set up as part of the pre-wedding festivities.

Three days of song, dance and pre-wedding rituals like mehendi are also lined up over the weekend.

Celebrities have already started arriving in Udaipur with Actor Anil Kapoor and his wife Sunita Kapoor, filmmaker David Dhawan and fashion designer Manish Malhotra in the lead.

More than 100 chartered flights are landing in Udaipur's airport, a source told Reuters.

"The event will have many visitors from abroad, so customs and immigration counters have been set up at the airport and will remain active for the next five days," the airport source said.

According reports, singing sensation Beyonce is expected to perform at the wedding next week in Mumbai, along with Bollywood celebrities.

Guests also have access to an app mapping out the activities.

The wedding will bring together two of India's most influential families. Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, has a net worth of $47 billion, Forbes magazine says. The Piramals are into pharmaceuticals and real estate business, and according to a report, have given the couple a 50,000-sq-foot sea-facing house in Mumbai.