Volunteers in the city will conduct a heritage walk-cum-cycle ride on Sunday to protest against the proposal to change the name of Ahmedabad to Karnavati. They say that Ahmedabad has been the identity of the citizens for centuries, for which there is a sense of pride which they are not willing to compromise. Rakesh Goswami, a resident of Prernatirth locality in the city has initiated an online campaign to oppose the change of name of the city. Close to 19,000 persons have so far supported the campaign. Social media has been abuzz with campaigns to maintain Ahmedabad as the identity of the city. Now, people are organising a function to complement the action on WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. Accordingly, a march-cum-cycle ride is organised on Sunday morning (7 am to 9 am) from Manek Burj to Teen Darwaja covering heritage sites like Sardar Patel Bhavan and Jama Masjid. "Those who are willing to walk will march and those who want to participate in cycle ride, will do so accordingly," said Goswami. In addition to conducting an online campaign, Goswami also wrote letters to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel advocating the continuance of Ahmedabad as the name for the city. "We have been known as Amdavadis. People in the country and abroad know us accordingly. Various surveys conducted to know the popular mood have also revealed that majority of people do not want the city to be identified as 'Karnavati'. Whether they are youngsters, or women or the elderly, or those who have gone abroad support Ahmedabad as the name for the city," he said. Historical records also reveal that it was Ahmedshah who established the city in 1411 AD on the eastern bank of Sabarmati river. Karnavati, named after Chalukya dynasty had defeated a local Bhil leader Asha and established a settlement called Karnavati, but it was on the western bank, indicating that Ahmedshah's Ahmedabad and Karnadev's Karnavati were different entities altogether. NAMESAKE In addition to conducting an online campaign, Rakesh Goswami, resident of the city also wrote to CM Vijay Rupani and Deputy CM Nitin Patel advocating the continuance of Ahmedabad as the name for the city

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