God's Own Country Kerala is getting a new name, like many others in the past

The state of Kerala, known by the moniker 'God's Own Country', is seeking to adopt its original name as its offical name. 

What

A proposal put forward by Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan to change the state's name to 'Keralam', as it is known in the Malayalam language, has been unanimously approved by the state Legislative Assembly. 

• The Assembly has additionally requested the Central government to initiate the process of amending the name in accordance with Article 3 of the Constitution. This article pertains to the establishment of new states and modifications to the names or territories of existing states.

"The name of our state is Keralam in the Malayalam language. States were formed based on language on November 1, 1956. Kerala Day is also on November 1. The need to unite Kerala for the Malayalam-speaking communities has been strongly evident since the time of the national freedom struggle," said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Throughout history, Kerala has embraced its traditional names for numerous towns and cities.

• For instance, the capital, once known as Trivandrum, has been restored to its original name, Thiruvananthapuram.
• Similarly, Cochin has returned to its traditional name, Kochi; while Quilon is now known as Kollam.
• Trichur has become Thrissur again.

The Central government had notified the Lok Sabha that it had agreed to rename seven cities and towns within a span of five years. 

Here are 10 cities whose names were changed.

1. Allahabad to Prayagraj

The decision to rename the historic city was made in October 2018, following the state government's decision led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

During the Kumbh Mela that year, officials confirmed that the Indian government had authorised the change of Allahabad's name to Prayagraj, as requested by the Uttar Pradesh government. 

2. Gurgaon to Gurugram

On April 12, 2016, the Haryana government decided to rename Gurgaon to 'Gurugram', and the nearby Mewat district to 'Nuh'.

Gurgaon's roots link to the times of the Mahabharat, when the Pandavas and Kauravas are said to have gifted this land to Guru Dronacharya, their martial mentor, as a token of gratitude for his training.

In 2016, the Haryana government led by Manohar Lal Khattar cited public demand behind renaming the city, historically a hub of royal education, as 'Gurugram', its original name. It is the largest city in Haryana.

3. Bangalore to Bengaluru

Eight years after the Karnataka government's proposal, in 2014, the Central government approved the renaming of 12 cities and towns within the state. 

Among these changes are Belgaum becoming Belagavi, Bangalore becoming Bengaluru, and Mangalore becoming Mangaluru.

The purpose of these name adjustments was to match the Kannada language's pronunciation.

4. Orissa to Odisha

From March 2011, 'Orissa' was officially changed to 'Odisha,' and the language 'Oriya' was renamed as 'Odia'. This change was approved by the Parliament through an amendment to the Constitution and a related Bill.

Members from various parties hailed this move as a "historic" moment for the people of the state.

5. Pondicherry to Puducherry

The government changed the name of the former French-ruled area, Pondicherry, to Puducherry in September 2006. This alteration was to honour the region's native history.

During the late 17th century, this area was influenced by the French and became an important trading hub in the Bay of Bengal. It eventually came under direct Colonial control in the 18th century.

Surrounded by Tamil Nadu on three sides and the Bay of Bengal to the east, this region was officially united with India in 1963, which was 16 years after the rest of India gained independence from British rule.

6. Calcutta to Kolkata

Calcutta, also called 'The City of Joy', was changed to Kolkata in 2001. 

One of the factors behind this change was that the majority of people in the state are Bengalis who pronounce the city as Kolkata. 

Back in 1772, during the British rule, Calcutta was India's capital before the capital was shifted to Delhi.

7. Madras to Chennai

In 1996, the name of Madras was changed to Chennai. The term 'Madras', which originated from Madraspattinam, was bestowed upon this city by the colonisers. 

It's thought that both Madras and Chennai have roots in the towns of Madrasapattinam and Chennapatnam respectively, combining to form the city as it exists today.

This action marked a departure from the long-standing influence left by British colonisers, who established their southern headquarters in the coastal area during the mid-16th century.

8. Bombay to Mumbai

The change of the name of India's financial hub, Bombay, to Mumbai happened in 1996.

Originally, the British assigned the English name Bombay to this city in the 17th century. In 1996, the government opted to switch to the name Mumbai, as "Mumba" signifies "Maha Amba," and "Aayi" denotes "mother" in Marathi. 

9. Benaras to Varanasi

The ancient sacred city of Benaras was changed to the new name Varanasi in 1956. Varanasi's name originates from the combination of two rivers: Varuna and Assi.

Situated on the Varuna, which meets the Ganga from the north, and the Assi, which joins the Ganga from the south, Varanasi's name reflects its geographical surroundings.

The previous theory regarding its origin suggests that the river Varuna itself might have been referred to as Varanasi.

10. Poona to Pune

In 1857, during the British rule, Pune was named 'Poona'. The final renaming of the city to Pune took place in 1978. 

The city's oldest mention can be traced to a copper plate from 937 BC, associated with the Rashtrakuta dynasty, where it's called 'Punya Vishaya'.

The only deviation occurred when Mughal emperor Aurangzeb temporarily changed the city's name to 'Muhiyabad' between 1703 and 1705 in honour of his great-grandson, Muhi-ul-Milan, who died there. The name disappeared after Aurangzeb's death.