A Mumbai Wedding Rooted In Memory: Mallika Dalal And Abhishek Advani’s Temple Vows

A big fat Indian wedding was never on the cards for Mallika Dalal and Abhishek Advani, who married in Mumbai in 2025. Instead, the couple, who met through mutual friends, were clear about finding a venue that felt meaningful.

Their search led them to the city’s century-old Laxmi Narayan Temple in Gamdevi, a landmark in one of south Mumbai’s oldest neighbourhoods. Built in the traditional Hindu style, the temple is known for its ornate façade, carved details and distinctive shikhara rising above the surrounding cityscape.

For Dalal, the choice was personal. Her maternal grandparents were married there, and some of her earliest memories are of accompanying her mother on visits to the temple. Later, with a background in textile design and a career as a features editor at an interiors magazine, she developed an even deeper appreciation for its architecture and heritage. “It was serene, bright and airy, washed in white marble and pale yellow paint, with trees around it,” she said. “It felt like a sanctuary in the middle of the city.”

“We wanted our wedding to respect tradition as much as possible, while interpreting it in our own way,” said Advani. “As it so happened, we both wanted to get married in a temple without knowing the other had the same thought in mind.”

Having attended countless weddings at luxury hotels and destination venues, Advani was drawn to the temple's character and authenticity. “The terrace was the perfect size, and the setting felt genuine. We could immediately picture ourselves getting married there,” he shared.

That decision shaped the tone of the celebrations that followed. Drawing from their Gujarati and Sindhi roots, the couple created intimate gatherings with 350 guests that blended traditions—a mehendi, a Sindhi flower ceremony, and an afternoon of folk music and Bollywood songs. The temple ceremony became the most memorable moment of the wedding when the temple bell rang just as guests were about to chime their bells after the pheras. “Divine timing,” Dalal recalled.

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