List of renamed places in India explained

Since India gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, names of many cities, streets, places, and buildings throughout the Republic of India have been systematically changed, often to better approximate their native endonymic pronunciation. Certain traditional names that have not been changed, however, continue to be popular.

States or provinces

• East Punjab to Punjab (change effective from 26 January 1950; state later trifurcated into modern-day Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966; Chandigarh became a Union territory and the shared capital city of Punjab and Haryana)^{[1] [2]}
• United Provinces to Uttar Pradesh (change effective from 24 January 1950)
• Andhra State, the Telugu-speaking part of Madras Presidency, attained statehood on 1 October 1953. Three years later, Hyderabad State was annexed and combined with Andhra State and it was renamed Andhra Pradesh on 1 November 1956.
• Travancore–Cochin to Kerala (change effective from 1 November 1956)
• Madras State to Tamil Nadu (change effective from 14 January 1969)
• Mysore State to Karnataka (change effective from 1 November 1973)
• Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand (change effective from 1 January 2007)
• Orissa to Odisha (change effective from 23 September 2011)^[3]

Union territories

• Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands to Lakshadweep (change effective from 1 November 1973)
• Pondicherry to Puducherry (change effective from 1 October 2006)^[4]

Cities and towns

Andhra Pradesh

Former names of cities and towns in Andhra Pradesh at various times (Pre-Mauryan, Maurayan, Satavahana, Andhra Ikshvaku, Vishnukundina, Eastern Chalukya, Kakateeya, Musunuri, Pemmasani etc. rule) during the course of history. Andhra was mentioned as An-to-lo by Yuan Chang.

• Achanta from Marthandapuram
• Amarapura (during Vishnukundina Dynasty and Dhanyakatakam during Satavahana dynasty) to Amaravati
• Avanigadda from Avanijapuram
• Bezawada (anciently Vijayavatika during Mahabharata Times and Rajendrachola pura during Telugu Chola Dynasty) to Vijayawada
• Bhavapuri^[5] to Bhaava-pattana to Bhavapatta^[6] or Bhavapattu^[7] to Bapatla, known for Bhavanarayanaswami Temple (Bapatla district)
• Birudankaravolu^[8] or Birudankitavolu or Birudankinavolu or Birudankitapuram or Birudankinapuram to Bighole or Biccavole to Biccavolu (East Godavari district)
• Dasanapura or Darsi
• Devapura or Devada (Vizianagaram district)
• Dhamnakada to Dhamnakata to Dhamnakataka to Dhyanakara or Dhaanyakapura^[9] or Dhaanyakataka (Mauryan and Satavahana times) or Dhaanyakatakamu to Dhanakataka^[10] to Dharanikota (Palnadu district)
• Dhandapura^[11] or Dhandaprolu or Tsandavolu to Chandavolu to Chandolu (Guntur district)
• Dhakshatapovana^[12] or Dhakshavatika or Dhaksharamamu to Draksharamam (East Godavari district)
• Dugdhapavanapuramu or Upamanyupuramu or Kshirapuramu or Kshiraramamu or Palakota (Palathota) or Palakolanu to Palakollu (West Godavari district)
• Durvasapuram^[13] to Duvva (West Godavari district)
• Ekasilanagaramu or Vontimitta to Ontimitta, known for (Potana wrote Andhra Mahabhagavatam at Ontimitta Ramalayam) (Kadapa district)
• Gajaranyam (in Kritayuga) to Madhavipuri (in Tretayuga) to Swargasopanam (in Dwaparayuga) to Marikapuri (in Kaliyuga) to Markapuram
• Gadapa to Kadapa to Kurpah to Cuddapah (by British) to Kadapa
• Garthapuri to Gunturu (Guntur district)
• Gonkavaram to Gokavaram, East Godavari district
• Govatika to Govada
• Gurajala to Gurazala (Palnadu district) or Jangamaheswarapuram
• Helapuri^[14] (Eastern Chalukya times) or Eluru^[15] to Ellore by British to Eluru (change effective 1949)
• Juvikallu to Julakallu to Zulakallu (Palnadu district)
• Madhavipattana or Gurindalastha to Gurijala or Gurajala to Gurazala (during British era)
• Kakinandiwada to Cocanada (by British) to Kakinada
• Kalidindi to Madhurantakacholanalluru (Telugu Choda times) to Kalidindi (Krishna District)
• Kanakagiri to Kanigiri (now in Prakasam District, previously in Nellore District)
• Kandanavrolu to Kandenavolu to Kurnool
• Kandarapura or Kanteru (Guntur District)
• Kantakasela or Kantikossula or Ghantasala
• Karmmarashtra (during Pallava period) for Ongole town and surroundings watered by Gundlakamma river.
• Kavali or Kanakapatnam
• Kharapuri to Karyampudi (venue of the battle of Palnadu) to Karampudi or Karempudi or Caurampoody (by Europeans) to Karampudi
• Kharamandalamu or Karimanal or Cholamandalam or Choramandalam^[16] to Choramandala (by the Portuguese) to Choromandel (by the Dutch) to Coromandal (by the British) ^[17]
• Kondapalli to Mustafanagar^[18] (during Qutub Shahi and early Asaf Jahi times) to Kondapalli
• Kondaveedu or Gopinathapuram to Murtazanagar (during Qutub Shahi and early Asaf Jahi times) to Kondaveedu
• Krövachuru to Krosuru (Palnadu district)
• Kundinapuram (near Kondaveedu) to Ameenabad (Guntur district)
• Mahadevicherla (cheruvu) or Mahadevitataka to Madevicherla to Macherla (Palnadu district)
• Mahendragiri or Pistapura or Pittapore to Pithapuram (East Godavari district)
• Matsyapuri (Mauryan and Satavahana times) or Masolia (as known by Greek and Roman historians) or Chepalarevu (locally) or Machilipatnam or Masulipatam (by British, Dutch) or Bandar (by Qutub Shahis and Asaf Jahis) to Bandaru or Machilipatnam
• Narasaraopet to Narasaraopeta
• Nelliooru or Nellipuram or Dhaanyapuram or Vikrama Simhapuri to Nelluru to Nellore by British
• Neminadhunuru to Nedunuru (Amalapuram Taluk West Godavri District)
• Niravadyapuramu or Niravadyaprolu (during Eastern Chalukya times) to Nidadavole to Nidadavolu
• Nrusimhapuri to Narasimhapuramu to Narasapur to Narasapuramu West Godavari District
• Ongole district to Prakasam district
• Pallavanadu or Palanadu or Pallenadu to Palnadu (Guntur district)
• Pattiseema or Pattisam
• Pedavegi or Vengipuram
• Peddapalli to Petapoly by the Dutch settlers to Pettipolee or Pettipoly by British or Nizampatnam (during Asaf Jahi era) (Guntur district)
• Puruhutikanagaram, Puruhutikapuram, Puruhutikapatnam, Peethikapuramu or Pistapura to Pithapuram (East Godavari district)
• Penuganchiprolu or Penukanchiprolu or Pennegentspoel (by Europeans) (Krishna district)
• Prathipalapura (Pre-Mauryan era) to Bhattiprolu (Krishna district)
• Prolavaram to Polavaram, Krishna district
• Prudhvipuram or Prudhilapuram or Podili
• Rajamahendravaramu or Rajamahendri to Rajahmundry to Rajamahendravaram
• Rajavolu to Razole (by the British) or Rajolu
• Rayapudi or Rayaprolu
• Repalle or Revupalle
• Samarlakota to Samalkota (East Godavari district)
• Skandapuri or Kandukuru (Prakasam district)
• Srikakulamu to Chicacole or Sikkolu to Srikakulam
• Sriparvata (Maurayan and Satavahana times) or Vijayapuri to Nagarujunikonda or Nagarjunakonda (Guntur District)
• Tarakapuri^[19] or Tanuku (West Godavari district)
• Teravali or Tenali
• Kandarapura or Skandapura or Tambrapasthana or Tambrapa or Tambrapura or Tamrapuram or Chembrolu (capital of Ganapathideva Gaja Sahiniraya) to Chebrolu (Guntur District)
• Vakadu or Vandanapuri
• Vangalaprolu or Vangavolu to Vangolu to Ongolu to Ongole by British (Prakasam District)
• Vardhamanapuramu to Vardhamanu to Vaddamanu (Guntur district)
• Veligandla or Maarganaarayanapuramu^[20] to Veligandla (now in Prakasam District, previously in Nellore District)
• Vengi^[21] or Pedavegi (West Godavari district)
• Vengipuram or Vengiparru or Vangaparru
• Vidarbhapuri or Gudiwada (Krishna district)
• Vijayavatika (Mahabharata times) to Rajendracholapuram (Telugu Choda times) to Bejjamwada to Bezawada by British to Vijayawada
• Vishnukundinapuramu (Vishnukundina times) to Vinukonda (Palnadu district)
• Waltair to Vizagapatam to Visakhapatnam

Assam

• Nowgong to Nagaon
• Gauhati to Guwahati
• Sibsagar to Sivasagar

Chhattisgarh

• New Raipur to Atal Nagar (2018)

Gujarat

• Viravati to Chandravati, Chandravati to Vadpatra, Vadpatra to Baroda, Baroda to Vadodara (change effective 1974)
• Broach to Bharuch
• Cambay to Khambhat
• Bulsar to Valsad
• Suryapur to Surat
• Bhavena (Gohilwad) to Bhavnagar
• Kutchhpura to Kutch
• Begum Nadia Nagar to Nadiad

Haryana

• Gurgaon to Gurugram^[22]
• Mustafabad to Saraswati Nagar
• Amin to Abhimanyupur
• Kinnar to Gaibi Nagar
• Chamar Khera to Sundar Khera
• Khizrabad to Pratap Nagar
• Ballabgarh to Balramgarh

Himachal Pradesh

• Simla to Shimla
• Mandav Nagar to Mandi

Goa

• Panjim to Panaji^[23]
• Sanquelim to Sankhali
• Curchorem to Kudchade

Karnataka

• Bangalore to Bengaluru
• Dharwar to Dharwad
• Mangalore to Mangaluru
• Mysore to Mysuru
• Hubli to Hubballi
• Tumkur to Tumakuru
• Shimoga to Shivamogga
• Belgaum to Belagavi
• Bellary to Ballari
• Gulbarga to Kalaburgi
• Marcera to Madikeri
• Bijapur to Vijayapura
  • Hospet to Hosapete Chikmagalur to Chikkamagaluru

Kerala

• • Trivandrum to Thiruvananthapuram Cochin to Kochi
• Calicut to Kozhikode
• Quilon to Kollam
• Trichur to Thrissur
• Cannanore to Kannur
• Casrod to Kasaragod
• Palghat to Palakkad^[24]
• Alleppey to Alappuzha^[24]
• Changanacherry to Changanassery^[24]
• Alwaye to Aluva^[24]
• Parur to Paravur^[24]
• Cranganore to Kodungallur^[24]
• Badagara to Vatakara^[24]
• Tellicherry to Thalassery^[24]
• Devi Colam to Devi Kulam
• Chirayinkil to Chirayinkeezhu
• Mannarghat to Mannarkad
• Mannantoddy to Mananthavady
• Quilandy to Koyilandy
• Palai to Pala
• Sultan's Battery to Sultan Bathery^[24]
• Verapoly to Varapuzha
• Cherpalchery to Cherpulassery
• Koney to Konni
• Sherthalai to Cherthala
• Nethirimangalam to Pattambi

Madhya Pradesh

• Indur to Indore
• Avantika to Ujjain
• Bhelsa to Vidisha
• Rassen to Raisen
• Saugor to Sagar
• Jubbulpore to Jabalpur
• Bhopal Bairagarh to Sant Hirda Ram Nagar, Bhopal
• Bellasgate to Bheraghat
• Ujjaini to Ujjain
• Mandu to Mandavgarh
• Hoshangabad to Narmadapuram
• Viratnagari to Shahdol
• Mhow to Dr. Ambedkar Nagar

Maharashtra

• Bombay to Mumbai^[25]
• New Bombay to Navi Mumbai
• Nasik to Nashik
• Nagpore to Nagpur
• Khadki to Aurangabad to Sambhaji Nagar
• Chanda to Chandrapur
• Ellichpur to Achalpur
• Oomrawutty to Amravati
• Daulatabad to Devagiri
• Ambarapur to Ausa
• Osmanabad to Dharashiv
• Poona to Pune
• Thana to Thane
• Bhir to Beed
• Ratnapur to Latur
• Mominabad to Ambajogai
• Ambanagari to Amravati
• Edlabad to Muktainagar
• Campoolie to Khopoli

Ahmednagar to Ahilyanagar

Mizoram

• Saiha to Siaha^[26]

Nagaland

• Chumukedima to Chümoukedima

Odisha

• Balasore to Baleshwar^[27]
• Wheeler Island to Abdul Kalam Island (change effective 4 September 2015)^{[28] [29] [30]}

Puducherry

• Pondicherry to Puducherry (change effective from 1 October 2006)
• Yanaon to Yanam (change effective from merger with Indian Union)

Punjab

• Jullunder to Jalandhar
• Ropar to Rupnagar
• Mohali to Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar
• Nawanshahr to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar

Rajasthan

• Ajaymeru to Ajmer
• Dhedhi Dhani to Mansanagar (District Sikar) (change effective from 27 April 2011)
• Jeypore to Jaipur
• Jessulmere to Jaisalmer

Tamil Nadu

• Cape Comorin to Kanyakumari
• Ooty to Udagamandalam
• Conjeevaram to Kanchipuram
• Kombammeddu to Koyambedu
• Karuvur to Karur
  • • Madras to Chennai Madura to Madurai Porto Novo to Parangipettai
• Mayavaram to Mayiladuthurai
• Tanjore to Thanjavur
• Tinnevelly to Tirunelveli
• Tranquebar to Tharangambadi
• Triplicane to Thriuvallikeni
• Trichinopoly to Tiruchirapalli
• Trinomalee to Tiruvannamalai
• Tuticorin to Thoothukudi
• Virudupatti to Virudhunagar
• Talaivasal to Thalaivasal
• Wandiwash to Vandavasi
• Arcot to Aarkadu
• Dindigul to Thindukkal
• Ramnad to Ramanathapuram
• Kudanthai to Kumbakonam
• Thillai to Chidambaram
• Negapatnam to Nagapattinam
• Idaippadi to Edappadi
• Aliyabad to Kalambur
• Srirangam to Thiruvarangam
• Arni to Aarani
• Thirumaraikkadu to Vedaranyam

Telangana

• Adlapur to Adilabad
• Elagandla to Karimnagar
• Indur to Nizamabad
• Siddapur or Metukuseema or Gulshanabad to Medak
• Rukmampet or Palamoor to Mahabubnagar
• Orugallu to Warangal to Ekasilanagaram (not to be confused with old Ekasilanagaram of Vontimitta) or Warangal
• Bhuvanagiri to Bhongir
• Khambammettu to Khammam
• Bhagyanagaram to Hyderabad

Uttar Pradesh

• • • Cawnpore to Kanpur Banaras to Varanasi Mustafabad to Rampur
  • Allahabad to Prayagraj Faizabad district to Ayodhya district^[31]
• Mughalsarai to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar
• Firozabad to Chandra nagar

West Bengal

• • Calcutta to Kolkata Burdwan to Bardhaman
• Chinsurah to Chuchura
• Barahanagore to Baranagar
• Midnapore to Medinipur
• Contai to Kanthi
• Krishnagar to Krishnanagar
• Chandernagore to Chandannagar
• Ishapore to Ichapur
• Tamrilipta to Tamluk

See also

• Renaming of cities in India
• Dara Shikoh Road

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
2. Web site: The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966. LawsofIndia. PRS Legislative Research (PRS)..
3. Web site: Odisha Name Alteration Act, 2011. eGazette of India. 2011-09-23. en.
4. News: South Asia | New name for old French territory . BBC News . 20 September 2006 . 10 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222055544/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5365248.stm . 22 February 2014 . live .
5. News: Stories of Bapatla, a Seacoast Town. 28 May 2017. The Hans India. en.
6. Book: Annual Report of the Department of Archaeology & Museums, Andhra Pradesh ... Government of Andhra Pradesh. 28 May 2017. en. 1981.
7. Book: Kumari. M. Krishna. Rule Of The Chalukya-Cholas In Andhradesa. B.R. Pub. Corp.. 28 May 2017. en. 1 September 1985. 9788170182542.
8. Book: Natesan, G. A.. The Indian Review. 1972. G.A. Natesan & Company. en.
9. Book: Das. Devarapalli Jithendra. The Buddhist Architecture in Andhra. 1993. Books & Books. 55. 9788185016351. 8 June 2017. en.
10. Book: Sithpati. P.. New sathvahana sculptures from anditra anwravati. 1980. 8 June 2017. en.
11. Book: Kumari. M. Krishna. Social and Cultural Life in Medieval Andhra. Discovery Publishing House. 9788171411023. 11. 28 May 2017. en. 1990.
12. Book: Moorthy. K. K.. The aalayas of Andhra Pradesh: a sixteen-flower-garland. Message Publications. en. 1994.
13. Book: (India). Andhra Pradesh. Sivasankaranarayana. Bh. Rajagopal. M. V.. Ramesan. N.. Andhra Pradesh District Gazetteers: West Godavari. Director of Print. and Stationery at the Government Secretariat Press; [copies can be had from: Government Publication Bureau|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=csRhAAAAIAAJ&q=Durvasapuram|access-date=28 May 2017|language=en|year=1979].
14. Book: Syeda Azeem Unnisa. S. Bhupatthi Rav. Sustainable solid waste management. 2013. Apple Academic Press. Toronto. 978-1-926895-24-6. 49. Online-Ausg.. 18 September 2015.
15. Book: Stone. Peter F.. Oriental Rugs: An Illustrated Lexicon of Motifs, Materials, and Origins. Tuttle Publishing. 978-1-4629-1184-4. 7 May 2017. en. 19 November 2013.
16. Web site: The Imperial Gazetteer of India. Sir William Wilson. Hunter. 23 December 1885. Trübner & Company. Google Books.
17. Book: Committee, Madras Tercentenary Celebration. The Madras Tercentenary Commemoration Volume. 23 December 1994. Asian Educational Services. 9788120605374. Google Books.
18. Book: Swarnalatha. P.. The World of the Weaver in Northern Coromandel, C.1750-c.1850. 2005. Orient Blackswan. 9788125028680. 11. en.
19. Web site: About Tanuku Municipality Tanuku Municipality. tanuku.cdma.ap.gov.in. 7 November 2016.
20. Book: Prasad, E. S. M.. Studies in the Natural, Historical, and Cultural Geography and Ethnography of Coastal Andhra: Based on Inscriptions from the Earliest to 1325 A.D.. 1 January 1997. Bharatiya Book Corporation. 9788185122243. en.
21. Book: Murthi. G. V. Satyanarayana. Abridgement and Reform of Telugu Script. Andhra University Press. en. 1968.
22. News: Gurgaon will now be called Gurugram. 12 April 2016. The Hindu. Kumar. Ashok.
23. Web site: Goanobserver.com. www.goanobserver.com.
24. News: Government approves new names of 25 towns . NDTV . Press Trust of India . 12 February 2012.
25. Web site: Why Did Bombay Become Mumbai? How the city got renamed.. Christopher Beam. 1 December 2008. 16 June 2015. www.slate.com.
26. http://www.madconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Official_Resolution.pdf
27. Web site: Baleswar District Government of Odisha Website of Baleswar District Administration India. 17 January 2022. en-US.
28. Web site: In tribute to India's 'Missile Man' Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam, Wheeler Island named after him. 4 September 2015. Zee News.
29. News: Dr. Kalam Island inspires youth in India. All India youth were proud to be a person lived in this generation for only India . Hyderabad, India . TNP . 5 September 2015.
30. News: Wheeler Island renamed after Missile Man. The Times of India. 5 September 2015 . 7 September 2015.
31. News: UP Guv approves renaming of Allahabad as Prayagraj. ANI. 20 October 2018. Business Standard India. 21 October 2018.