In Pics: Footballer Lionel Messi meets tradition and tigers at Anant Ambani’s Vantara

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Global football icon Lionel Messi visited Anant Ambani’s Vantara in Jamnagar, where he experienced Indian traditions and interacted with rescued tigers.

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Global football icon Lionel Messi made a special visit to Vantara, a wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation centre founded by Anant Ambani.

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A lion cub was named "Lionel" at the foster care centre in Vantara to honour the football great.

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In a candid interaction, Lionel Messi posed with a white tiger at vantara.

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The photos of Messi's Vantara visit went viral on social media, promoting a flurry of reactions from users.

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The football legend also participated in a Maha Aarti at the temple, including Ambe Mata Puja, Ganesh Puja, Hanuman Puja, and Shiv Abhishek.

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After visiting vantara Lionel Messi said, "What Vantara does is truly beautiful—the work for animals, the care they receive, the way they are rescued and looked after. It is genuinely impressive. We had a wonderful time, felt completely at ease throughout, and it is an experience that stays with you. We will surely visit again to continue inspiring and supporting this meaningful work."