New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) Delhi is witnessing a virtual shutdown ahead of the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games as Saturday happens to be a national holiday owing to Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary while markets and shopping malls across the city have been ordered shut Sunday.
As per a Delhi government order, all shops and commercial establishments, including neighbourhood grocery stores, liquor shops and malls, will remain closed Sunday to avoid congestion on the roads.
The mega-sporting event kicks off in the capital Sunday with the opening ceremony to be held at the revamped Jawaharlal Nehru stadium. Some 7,000 athletes and officials from 71 countries and territories are expected for the Games, India’s biggest sporting event since the 1982 Asian Games.