Since 1947, Indian society has seen many examples of cities being renamed. Political, historical and social issues have often played a key role in naming regions in India. However, following the country’s independence from British rule, changing names of cities has mostly come down to religious or ethnic beliefs. Let’s find out which Indian cities changed their names since the country got its independence. 

Bombay to Mumbai 

The capital of Maharashtra changed its name from Bombay to Mumbai in 1995, when Bal Thackeray led Shiv Sena assumed control of the state government after winning the elections in a landslide victory. It was Shiv Sena, which argued that the name Bombay reflected the legacy of British colonialism and wanted something which would highlight Maratha people’s heritage, paying tribute to goddess Mumbadevi. 

The word ‘Mumbai’ was used by the 16th-century local Koli fishing community. The word Mumbai is derived from the Koli goddess, Mumbadevi, also regarded as the city’s deity and Aai (mother).

Trivandrum to Thiruvananthapuram 

Capital to the southern state of Kerala, Trivandrum was the city’s official anglicized name until 1991. However, the state government reinstated it to the city’s original name, Thiruvananthapuram later. 

According to historians, the name Thiruvananthapuram came into existence 142 years ago. The name consists of three words, ‘Thiru’, ‘Anantha’ and ‘Puram’ — which means ‘The City of Lord Anantha.’ 

It is said to have been named after “Ananthan”, the deity at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. 

Poona to Pune

Another city from Maharashtra, it was addressed as Poona during British rule, starting from 1857 and was later changed to Pune in 1978. The city was named ‘Muhiyabad’ by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb between 1703-1705, in the memory of his great-grandson Mahi-ul-Milan. However, the name was erased after the Emperor’s death. 

Waltair to Visakhapatnam 

A port and industrial city in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, it was known as Vizagapatam during the East India Company’s rule in India. The name Waltair was another name given by the British colonial government. The word came from a British collector who worked in India during the 18th century. The city changed its name to Visakhapatnam in 1987. 

Allahabad to Prayagraj 

Initially called Ilahabad, the city became Allahabad in an anglicized version. The city in Uttar Pradesh changed its name to Prayagraj, by the state government in 2018. The initial name of the city was given by a Mughal ruler, Emperor Akbar. The ruling party in the state (BJP) claimed that it was trying to “correct history” as it was Emperor Akbar who changed Prayagraj’s name to Ilahabad in 1583. 

Pondicherry to Puducherry 

Based in southern India, the Union Territory was originally known as Putucerri, derived from the Tamil words ‘putu’ and ‘ceri’ — which means ‘new’ and ‘village’. A former French colony, the name became Pondicherry until it was officially changed to Puducherry in 2006. 

The Union Territory was under French influence in the 17th century and served as a key trading post.

Faizabad to Ayodhya 

Another city of Uttar Pradesh that saw a name change is Faizabad. The Uttar Pradesh government headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved the renaming of Faizabad district as Ayodhya in 2018. 

Calcutta to Kolkata

In 2001, the government of West Bengal decided to change its capital city’s name to Kolkata which will reflect its original Bengali pronunciation. Known as Calcutta during the British times, the city also served as the capital to Britishers when they first came to India.