Ahmedabad, Jan 18 (IANS): Gujarat’s largest city Ahmedabad is gearing up for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and to mark the occasion bazaars in the old city areas will remain closed on January 22.

In a show of devotion Manek Chowk Choksi Mahajan, Ratan Pol Sona Chandi Dagina Mahajan, and the Ahmedabad Electrical Merchants and Contractors’ Association have announced a holiday to mark the event.

In a unifying call by the Ahmedabad Vepari Mahajan, approximately 60 trade associations across the city have been urged to voluntarily close their businesses on January 22 and join in the nationwide celebrations.

The initiative is a testament to the widespread enthusiasm for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple.

Manek Chowk Choksi Mahajan has already declared an official holiday and shopkeepers in these areas have been encouraged to decorate their shops the way they do for Diwali and light lamps at their homes.

While some groups like the Madhupura Spice Merchants Market are still deliberating how to mark the occasion, the Maskati Cloth Merchants Association is planning elaborate decorations to celebrate the consecration.

Meanwhile, in a gesture connecting Gujarat to the historic event in Ayodhya, a nagada (drum) weighing 500 kg, crafted by the Dabgar community of the Daryapur extension in Karnavati, Gujarat, has been sent to Ayodhya.

This instrument was prepared under the auspices of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

General Secretary Champat Rai stated that this drum would be placed permanently in the temple premises.

Designed to endure the elements, the 'nagada' made with iron and copper plates is coated with gold and silver and its resonant sound carries up to a kilometer.

This contribution from Gujarat came following a request from a Gujarat Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader, who wrote to the temple trust, exemplifying the deep cultural and spiritual ties that bind the state to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.