Kerala has recently changed its name. The new name of this state is 'Keralam'. The Union Cabinet has approved the name change proposal by Kerala Chief Minister and CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan. The Kerala government's argument on this matter is that in Malayalam language, the state's name was originally 'Keralam'. Later, due to British usage, the name 'Kerala' became popular. Although this has sparked controversy in political circles, the trend of changing place names is not new. Several places in India have changed their names before. Kolkata is also on that list. Which other regions have had their names changed, and what are their current names?

Kolkata

On January 1, 2001, 'Calcutta' was renamed Kolkata to align with Bengali pronunciation. Earlier, during the British era until 1911, Kolkata was called Calcutta.

Odisha

The land of Jagannath is now known as Odisha, though it was once Orissa. In 2011, the state's name was changed from Orissa to Odisha. In Sanskrit, this state was called 'Odra Desha'. Following the Odia language and the name 'Odra Desha', it was subsequently renamed Odisha.

Uttarakhand

Devbhumi was called Uttaranchal in 2000. Later in 2007, its name was changed to Uttarakhand. Earlier, Uttarakhand was part of Uttar Pradesh. Later, following protests and movements by local residents, Uttarakhand separated from Uttar Pradesh. At that time, it was named Uttaranchal.

Mumbai

Mumbai, known as India's commercial capital, also had its name changed. In 1995, Bombay was renamed Mumbai. The ancient fishing community along the coasts of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa is called Koli. It was named Mumbai after their local deity Mumbadevi.

Bengaluru

In 2014, India's Silicon Valley was given the Kannada name 'Bengaluru'. The name comes from 'Benda-kalu-oru'. Its actual meaning is the city of boiled beans. It is said that in the 12th century, the Hoysala Empire king Veera Ballala II ate boiled beans from an old woman in the forest. Since then, that place was named 'Benda-kalu-oru'. Subsequently, Bengaluru came from this name.

Chennai

Madras was renamed Chennai in 1996. This name came from the Chennai Telugu ruler Damarla Chennappa Naik's name.

Prayagraj

Allahabad was renamed Prayagraj in 2018. This name is connected to Triveni Sangam (the confluence of three rivers – Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati).

Gurugram

Gurgaon was changed to Gurugram in 2016. This name was given after Guru Dronacharya from the Mahabharata. It is said that Dronacharya's disciples gifted him this village. Therefore, it was named Gurugram.