Old and New Place Names in India: Searchable List of Renamed Cities and States
From Bombay to Mumbai and Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram: find what any Indian place was called before, and when it changed.
Search 95 placesOld books, maps and colonial records use names that no longer appear on a modern map. Cawnpore, Seringapatam, Shahjahanabad, Trichinopoly. This finder matches each one to the place it refers to today.
Old and New Place Names Finder
Search 95 renamed places in India and its neighbours by old or new name, state or year.
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Try the old or the new spelling, a state name, or . Think we have missed a renaming? Tell us and we will add it.
| Old name | Current name | State / region | Year | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombay State | Maharashtra and Gujarat | Western India | 1960 | State | Split on 1 May 1960 into Maharashtra and Gujarat |
| Madras State | Tamil Nadu | Tamil Nadu | 1969 | State | Renamed with effect from 14 January 1969 |
| Mysore State | Karnataka | Karnataka | 1973 | State | Renamed on 1 November 1973 |
| United Provinces | Uttar Pradesh | Uttar Pradesh | 1950 | State | Renamed on 24 January 1950 |
| Central Provinces and Berar | Madhya Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh | 1950 | State | |
| Travancore-Cochin | Kerala | Kerala | 1956 | State | Kerala formed on 1 November 1956 |
| Orissa | Odisha | Odisha | 2011 | State | Spelling changed with effect from 2011 |
| Uttaranchal | Uttarakhand | Uttarakhand | 2007 | State | Renamed from 1 January 2007 |
| Pondicherry | Puducherry | Puducherry (UT) | 2006 | UT and city | Renamed from 1 October 2006 |
| Bombay | Mumbai | Maharashtra | 1995 | City | |
| Madras | Chennai | Tamil Nadu | 1996 | City | |
| Calcutta | Kolkata | West Bengal | 2001 | City | |
| Bangalore | Bengaluru | Karnataka | 2014 | City | One of 12 Karnataka cities renamed on 1 November 2014 |
| Mysore | Mysuru | Karnataka | 2014 | City | Renamed 1 November 2014 |
| Mangalore | Mangaluru | Karnataka | 2014 | City | Renamed 1 November 2014 |
| Belgaum | Belagavi | Karnataka | 2014 | City | Renamed 1 November 2014 |
| Bellary | Ballari | Karnataka | 2014 | City | Renamed 1 November 2014 |
| Bijapur | Vijayapura | Karnataka | 2014 | City | Renamed 1 November 2014 |
| Gulbarga | Kalaburagi | Karnataka | 2014 | City | Renamed 1 November 2014 |
| Hubli | Hubballi | Karnataka | 2014 | City | Renamed 1 November 2014 |
| Hospet | Hosapete | Karnataka | 2014 | City | Renamed 1 November 2014 |
| Shimoga | Shivamogga | Karnataka | 2014 | City | Renamed 1 November 2014 |
| Tumkur | Tumakuru | Karnataka | 2014 | City | Renamed 1 November 2014 |
| Chikmagalur | Chikkamagaluru | Karnataka | 2014 | City | Renamed 1 November 2014 |
| Poona | Pune | Maharashtra | 1978 | City | |
| Baroda | Vadodara | Gujarat | 1974 | City | |
| Benares (Banaras) | Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | 1956 | City | Also known by its ancient name, Kashi |
| Trivandrum | Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala | 1991 | City | |
| Cochin | Kochi | Kerala | 1996 | City | |
| Gurgaon | Gurugram | Haryana | 2016 | City | |
| Allahabad | Prayagraj | Uttar Pradesh | 2018 | City | Akbar's Ilahabad; the older name Prayag was restored in form |
| Mughalsarai | Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar | Uttar Pradesh | 2018 | Town and junction | The railway junction was renamed Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction in 2018; the town name followed |
| Faizabad district | Ayodhya district | Uttar Pradesh | 2018 | District | |
| Daltonganj | Medininagar | Jharkhand | 2004 | Town | Named after the Chero king Medini Ray instead of a colonial officer |
| Hoshangabad | Narmadapuram | Madhya Pradesh | 2022 | City | |
| Aurangabad | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | Maharashtra | 2023 | City | Named after Aurangzeb; Mughal name Khujista Bunyad |
| Osmanabad | Dharashiv | Maharashtra | 2023 | City | |
| Ahmednagar (Ahmadnagar) | Ahilyanagar | Maharashtra | 2024 | City | Where Aurangzeb died in 1707; renamed after Ahilyabai Holkar |
| Port Blair | Sri Vijaya Puram | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 2024 | City | Capital of the islands, renamed in September 2024 |
| Ross Island | Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 2018 | Island | Renamed 30 December 2018, 75 years after Bose raised the flag at Port Blair |
| Neil Island | Shaheed Dweep | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 2018 | Island | Renamed 30 December 2018 |
| Havelock Island | Swaraj Dweep | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 2018 | Island | Renamed 30 December 2018 |
| Mount Harriet | Mount Manipur | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 2021 | Landmark | Honours Manipuri freedom fighters jailed in the Andamans |
| Habibganj railway station | Rani Kamlapati railway station | Madhya Pradesh | 2021 | Landmark | Bhopal station renamed after the Gond queen Rani Kamlapati |
| Jhansi railway station | Veerangana Lakshmibai Jhansi railway station | Uttar Pradesh | 2021 | Landmark | Renamed after Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi |
| Rajpath (Kingsway) | Kartavya Path | Delhi | 2022 | Landmark | Ceremonial avenue from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate |
| Mughal Gardens | Amrit Udyan | Delhi | 2023 | Landmark | Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan |
| Race Course Road | Lok Kalyan Marg | Delhi | 2016 | Landmark | Road of the Prime Minister's official residence |
| Aurangzeb Road | Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road | Delhi | 2015 | Landmark | |
| Cawnpore | Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | – | City | Colonial spelling replaced after independence |
| Simla | Shimla | Himachal Pradesh | – | City | Colonial spelling |
| Gauhati | Guwahati | Assam | – | City | Colonial spelling |
| Jubbulpore | Jabalpur | Madhya Pradesh | – | City | Colonial spelling |
| Vizagapatam (Waltair) | Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | – | City | |
| Bezwada | Vijayawada | Andhra Pradesh | – | City | Older Telugu and colonial-era name |
| Masulipatam | Machilipatnam | Andhra Pradesh | – | City | Major port for Golconda and European trading companies |
| Tanjore | Thanjavur | Tamil Nadu | – | City | |
| Trichinopoly | Tiruchirappalli | Tamil Nadu | – | City | |
| Conjeeveram | Kanchipuram | Tamil Nadu | – | City | |
| Mahabalipuram | Mamallapuram | Tamil Nadu | – | Town | Pallava port and temple town; both forms are still used |
| Ootacamund (Ooty) | Udhagamandalam | Tamil Nadu | – | Town | |
| Tinnevelly | Tirunelveli | Tamil Nadu | – | City | |
| Tuticorin | Thoothukudi | Tamil Nadu | – | City | |
| Madura | Madurai | Tamil Nadu | – | City | |
| Calicut | Kozhikode | Kerala | – | City | Where Vasco da Gama landed in 1498 |
| Cannanore | Kannur | Kerala | – | City | |
| Tellicherry | Thalassery | Kerala | – | City | Early English East India Company factory on the Malabar coast |
| Quilon | Kollam | Kerala | – | City | |
| Alleppey | Alappuzha | Kerala | – | City | |
| Palghat | Palakkad | Kerala | – | City | |
| Trichur | Thrissur | Kerala | – | City | |
| Mercara | Madikeri | Karnataka | – | Town | |
| Dharwar | Dharwad | Karnataka | – | City | |
| Seringapatam | Srirangapatna | Karnataka | – | Town | Tipu Sultan's capital, stormed by the British in 1799 |
| Nasik | Nashik | Maharashtra | – | City | |
| Thana | Thane | Maharashtra | – | City | |
| Panjim (Pangim) | Panaji | Goa | – | City | Portuguese-era name of Goa's capital |
| Burdwan | Bardhaman | West Bengal | – | City | |
| Midnapore | Medinipur | West Bengal | – | City | |
| Broach | Bharuch | Gujarat | – | City | Ancient port known to Greek and Roman writers as Barygaza |
| Cambay | Khambhat | Gujarat | – | Town | |
| Shahjahanabad | Old Delhi | Delhi | – | Historical name | Walled city built by Shah Jahan, completed in 1648 |
| Akbarabad | Agra | Uttar Pradesh | – | Historical name | Mughal name for Agra |
| Khujista Bunyad | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) | Maharashtra | – | Historical name | Mughal name before the city was renamed Aurangabad |
| Pataliputra | Patna | Bihar | – | Ancient name | Capital of the Maurya and Gupta empires |
| Kashi | Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | – | Ancient name | |
| Ujjayini | Ujjain | Madhya Pradesh | – | Ancient name | |
| Muziris | Pattanam / Kodungallur area | Kerala | – | Ancient port | Roman-era pepper port; exact site still debated |
| Kaveripattinam (Puhar) | Poompuhar | Tamil Nadu | – | Ancient port | Chola port, partly submerged |
| Islamabad (Mughal name) | Chattogram (Chittagong) | Bangladesh | – | Historical name | Name given by the Mughals after the conquest of 1666 |
| Ceylon | Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | 1972 | Country | |
| Burma | Myanmar | Myanmar | 1989 | Country | |
| Rangoon | Yangon | Myanmar | 1989 | City | |
| East Pakistan | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 1971 | Country | Independence after the 1971 war |
| Dacca | Dhaka | Bangladesh | 1982 | City | Spelling changed in 1982 |
Years are given where a renaming took effect on a known date. Many colonial-era spellings were replaced gradually after 1947 and have no single date. Historical names are names a place carried in earlier periods, not official renamings.
Ten years of new names.
Tap a card to see it in the finder.
Four reasons a place gets a new name.
Almost every renaming in the list falls into one of these groups.
01Restoring local pronunciation
Many colonial names were English spellings of Indian names. Independent India gradually replaced them with spellings closer to local usage.
Linguistic states
After the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, states were redrawn on language lines and renamed.
Regional identity
Big cities adopted the name used in the local language.
04Political and historical statements
Recent renamings replace names linked to Mughal, Sultanate or British figures with names honouring other figures or older traditions. These changes are often debated.
How a renaming happens.
The state proposes
The state government passes a proposal for the new name of a city or district.
The Centre clears it
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs gives a no-objection. Renaming a whole state needs an Act of Parliament.
The name is notified
The state notifies it in the gazette. Railways, post offices and courts update separately, so old and new names coexist for years.
Names to watch for in Mughal and Company records.
- →ShahjahanabadShah Jahan's walled capital, today's Old Delhi.
- →AkbarabadThe Mughal name for Agra.
- →SeringapatamTipu Sultan's island capital, Srirangapatna, stormed in 1799. See Tipu Sultan's family tree.
- →AhmadnagarWhere Aurangzeb died in 1707, now Ahilyanagar. See How did Aurangzeb die?
- →MuzirisKerala's Roman-era pepper port. Read the history of Muziris.
Dates in those sources look odd too? Use the Historical Calendar Converter for Old Style and Hijri dates.
Islands, roads and stations.
Renaming now reaches well beyond cities. In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ross, Neil and Havelock islands were renamed in 2018, Mount Harriet in 2021 and the capital, Port Blair, in 2024.
- →Port Blair → Sri Vijaya PuramCapital of the islands, September 2024.
- →Havelock Island → Swaraj DweepOne of three islands renamed on 30 December 2018.
- →Rajpath → Kartavya PathDelhi's ceremonial avenue, 2022.
- →Habibganj → Rani KamlapatiBhopal's railway station, 2021.
Frequently asked questions.
When was Bombay renamed Mumbai?
Bombay was officially renamed Mumbai in 1995, when the Maharashtra government adopted the Marathi name of the city, which comes from the goddess Mumbadevi.
When did Madras become Chennai?
Madras was officially renamed Chennai in 1996 by the Tamil Nadu government.
When was Calcutta renamed Kolkata?
Calcutta was officially renamed Kolkata in 2001, matching the way the name is spoken in Bengali.
When did Bangalore become Bengaluru?
Bangalore became Bengaluru on 1 November 2014, together with 11 other Karnataka cities, including Mysuru, Mangaluru, Belagavi and Hubballi.
What is the new name of Port Blair?
Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was renamed Sri Vijaya Puram in September 2024. Ross, Neil and Havelock islands had already been renamed in December 2018.
What is the new name of Ahmednagar?
Ahmednagar is now Ahilyanagar, named after the Maratha ruler Ahilyabai Holkar. The Maharashtra government approved the change in 2024.
What is the new name of Aurangabad in Maharashtra?
Aurangabad in Maharashtra is now Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, named after the Maratha ruler Sambhaji. The change took effect in 2023.
What was Old Delhi called?
Old Delhi was called Shahjahanabad, the walled city built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and completed in 1648.
Who approves the renaming of a city in India?
The state government proposes the new name and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs gives a no-objection before the state notifies it. Renaming a state needs an Act of Parliament.
Sources and further reading
- The Tribune, “Port Blair renamed, will now be called Sri Vijaya Puram” (13 September 2024).
- Scroll.in, “Three Andaman islands renamed after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose” (30 December 2018).
- The Indian Express, explainer on the renaming of Mount Harriet as Mount Manipur (20 October 2021).
- The News Minute, “Bangalore is officially Bengaluru from today” (1 November 2014).
- Outlook, “Maharashtra govt renames Ahmednagar district as Ahilya Nagar”.
- Wikipedia, “List of renamed places in India”, for cross-checking older renamings.
Last reviewed November 2026. New renamings are added as they are notified. Know a name we have missed? Tell us. Related tools: Historical Calendar Converter · Old Indian Money Converter · Governor-General & Viceroy Finder · All history tools.
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