A wedding in Jaipur comes with a certain sense of gravitas. The royal palaces, courtyards, jharokhas, and havelis set the perfect background for the most regal, spectacular celebrations. But what happens when the setting itself can become anything you imagine? A Tuscan sunset, a starlit sky, a mystical garden or a whimsical jungle that exists only in your imagination? Enter SkyDome Jaipur's newest addition to the events scene, and quite an interesting one at that.
Located in Kukas, it is India's first of its kind, and the world's third-largest inflatable event dome, with a 60-metre diameter, a height of 21 metres and approximately 30,000 sq. ft. of indoor space, alongside an equally expansive outdoor lawn. The real fun, however, lies in its 360-degree projection technology, which can transform the entire dome into fantastical landscapes and visual settings. Think of exchanging vows under a star-filled sky, or an enchanted garden, celebrating against the backdrop of a majestic palace, or recreating the concert where the two of you first met—the world is your oyster. And no elaborate set changes required to change the mood.
Conceived by five founders—Sameer Mutreja, Sachin Mutreja, Sumit Chandhoke, Sonalika Sengupta and Ali Safdar Zaidi—who bring decades of collective experience across events, hospitality, marketing and entertainment, SkyDome is designed for everything from destination weddings to concerts, exhibitions and fashion shows. But what does all this mean for couples planning a Jaipur wedding? And just how far can you take your wedding vision when the venue itself becomes part of the design? We caught up with Director Sachin Mutreja to find out.
Manifest: Take us back to the inception of the SkyDome. How did you conceptualize it?
Sachin Mutreja: We've done events in more than 200 cities across the world. We've seen domes before, and we've seen amazing technology all over the world. We always used to wonder, "Why can't we bring this into India?" We didn't have the money then, to be honest with you. I started this event company, ‘Rams”, in 1995, and at that time, the event industry was almost non-existent. There were hardly five or six companies, I think. We wanted to create a venue because, as event planners, we have always faced problems with venues. We often had to create a venue from scratch, which involved a lot of money, time and resources, and also led to a lot of wastage. So we thought about the kind of venue that could change in minutes or hours, depending on the requirement. Today, it could look like a wedding venue or a corporate launch venue, and tomorrow, it could look like something else entirely. That can only be technology. So we got the best from around the world, and then gradually started thinking bigger. Initially, we thought of doing a smaller one. Then we said, 'Let's do a mid-sized one,' and eventually went for something much larger. And then we thought, "Why not make it the largest in India?". And here we are.
M: A big part of Jaipur's appeal as a wedding destination is its rich heritage and old-world charm. So, do you think the city is ready for something this tech-savvy?
SM: I don't think technology kills history and culture. It enhances it. It's the way you use it—it's the way you would present it. And like I said, this (the dome) is just a canvas. It depends on what painting you want to paint on it.
M: Why did you choose Jaipur for this?
SM: I feel Rajasthan, particularly Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur, has this amazing quality of having tradition, values and culture deeply entrenched in it. These cities have taken tourism to a different level. Some of the best hotels in India are here. You have all the big brands, and not just that, you also have the best infrastructure coming in. Why? Because there is business here, right?
One of the simplest answers is that there is business here. Getting from one place to another can be quite a task in a city like Delhi. I'd rather have a wedding with 2,000 people in Jaipur, provided I have a weather-controlled venue that can be transformed into anything I want, and enough rooms around it to accommodate everyone.
M: This dome is the third largest in the world, and the first of its kind in India, which in itself is noteworthy. But additionally, what are some features that you're particularly proud of?
SM: I'm a creative person—I used to design events. For me, this is like a dream come true because I can design so many things within this space. Look at the visual effects. Now imagine those effects being converted into 3D visuals, almost popping out of the screens and coming towards you.
Imagine a wedding where you can display whatever you want for the bride and groom. You can tell their entire story through the visuals on these screens. That's what people want today. They want personalisation, customisation, graphics and a world that transforms around their wedding. They want an experience they can remember forever.
M: Where do you see SkyDome in the next five years? What do you hope to achieve?
SM: A couple of things. First, I definitely want to see Jaipur emerge as the number one destination. Size matters, imagination matters, and, of course, service matters. If we put all of that together and Jaipur still doesn't become the number one destination, I'll be a little sad.
Secondly, I would like to see more technology, even bigger domes, whether through competition or through us. I want to see these developments happening across India, and not just in terms of domes, but other technologies as well.
I think India really needs more venues. We struggle with event infrastructure across cities. Back in 2007, I was speaking at a conference of event managers in Bombay, and I said that our infrastructure was so poor that we couldn't even host a large convention in India. Fortunately, things have changed. We now have venues like Jio World Convention Centre, Swarnabhoomi and Bharat Mandapam. But these are still few and far between. Why can't we be at par with the rest of the world? Why does something have to come to America first and then make its way to India? Why does it have to happen somewhere else before it happens here? I just hate that.