MUMBAI, July 10 (Reuters) - When the son of Asia's

richest person Mukesh Ambani gets married in Mumbai this week,

traffic in a key part of the city will literally stop for the

four-day extravaganza to be attended by celebrities, business

elite and politicians.

The wedding of the billionaire's youngest son Anant Ambani,

29, and his long-time girlfriend Radhika Merchant, 29, is the

culmination of lavish celebrations throughout the year and

according to police, has been deemed a "public event" due to the

presence of international and Indian VIPs.

Raising the ire of locals, roads near the venue - the

upmarket Jio World Convention Centre owned by Ambani's Reliance

conglomerate in Mumbai's central business district - will be

open only for "event vehicles" between 1 p.m. and midnight July

12-15.

And that's despite Mumbai being notorious for its congested

traffic, particularly at this time of year during the monsoon

season.

Traffic already has slowed around the immediate area around

the venue which is being adorned with decorative lights and red

flowers. Marigolds and bright yellow lights have also been used

to decorate the trees outside Ambani's 27-storey mansion,

Antilia, in Mumbai.

While organisers have been tight-lipped about who will

attend, it's expected to be a star-studded event.

Last week, Justin Bieber performed for hundreds of guests at

a private pre-wedding concert. The Canadian pop star also had

photos taken with the bride and groom who wore haute couture

versions of traditional Indian attire.

In March, Rihanna sang at separate three-day pre-wedding

celebrations in western Gujarat state. Bill Gates and Meta's

Mark Zuckerberg were among the 1,200 guests at that

event. And in May, the Ambanis organised a pre-wedding luxury

European cruise with 800 guests including Bollywood stars and

cricketers.

Videos and photos of recent celebrations - including a video

of the Ambani family lip syncing and dancing to a Bollywood song

as well as one of Mukesh Ambani and his wife driving along with

their grandchildren - have flooded social media and are being

extensively covered by Indian media.

Friday's wedding will feature traditional Hindu rituals and

the reception will be held over two days. On Monday, there will

be a "special reception" for Ambani's household staff, according

to a document detailing the plans.

Rajan Mehra, chief executive of Club One Air, said the

Ambanis have hired three of his company's Falcon-2000 jets to

ferry wedding guests and expects 100 plus private planes to be

used for the events.

"The guests are coming from all over and each aircraft will

make multiple trips across the country," he said.

For some Mumbai residents, it's all too much with social

media buzzing with complaints.

"How can it be a public event? Surprised by special

treatment on the pain of normal public," asked one user on X.

"If it is a public event, can I go inside??," asks another.