Udaipur: For three days, Udaipur wasn’t just the City of Lakes, it was the epicentre of India’s most talked-about wedding. The wedding of Netra Mantena and Vamsi Gadiraju transformed the historic Rajasthani city into a high-profile celebration zone, drawing massive attention on social media and setting new benchmarks for destination weddings in India.

From celebrity performances and royal venues to viral dance reels, the Mantena–Gadiraju wedding dominated Instagram and YouTube feeds, momentarily eclipsing memories of other high-profile celebrity weddings. What began as a private family celebration quickly turned into a nationwide spectacle, with every function unfolding like a curated visual extravaganza.

While the wedding brought them into the public spotlight, the families behind the celebration are no strangers to success. Netra Mantena is the daughter of NRI pharmaceutical entrepreneur Rama Raju Mantena, Chairman and CEO of Ingenus Pharmaceuticals. Originally from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, Mantena built his business across the US, Switzerland and India after moving abroad in the 1980s.

The groom, Vamsi Gadiraju, is a tech entrepreneur and the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Superorder, a platform that enables multi-location restaurants to manage delivery and takeaway operations more efficiently. In 2024, Gadiraju and his co-founder, Raghav Poddar, earned a spot on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list under the Food and Drink category.

The destination wedding unfolded entirely in Udaipur, with the city witnessing heightened security arrangements, restricted access around key tourist zones, and luxury hotels booked exclusively for guests. Reports suggested limited access to Lake Pichola during the celebrations, underlining the scale of the event.

Chartered flights ferried guests, while traditional folk performances blended seamlessly with modern entertainment, offering a fusion of royal heritage and contemporary luxury.

The wedding festivities were hosted across some of Udaipur’s most iconic landmarks. The main wedding ceremony took place at Jagmandir Island Palace, the 17th-century marble palace located in the middle of Lake Pichola. The sangeet was hosted at Zenana Mahal within the City Palace complex, while the haldi ceremony unfolded at the opulent Taj Lake Palace.

The celebrations continued with grand party nights at The Leela Palace, which also hosted the reception. Each venue showcased elaborate décor inspired by royal aesthetics, adding to the fairytale-like appeal of the celebrations.

Clips of choreographed dance performances, celebrity sightings and behind-the-scenes moments flooded social platforms, turning the wedding into a viral phenomenon. Industry observers note that the event reflects a growing trend of ultra-luxury destination weddings in India that blend heritage venues with global-scale production.

As the celebrations concluded, the Mantena–Gadiraju wedding left behind more than memories, it set social media abuzz, boosted Udaipur’s image as a global wedding destination, and reaffirmed India’s enduring love for grand, larger-than-life weddings.