'Narayan Dham, Brahmateerth': Aurangabad, Khalispur among 50 localities in Varanasi to be renamed

Lucknow: Several localities, including some Muslim-dominated ones and those named after Muslim rulers like Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, in Varanasi, would be re-christened after Hindu gods and goddesses and icons.

According to sources, there was a proposal to change the names of around 50 localities of the town, and a proposal in this regard has been sent to the Varanasi Municipal Corporation.

Notable among the localities which are likely to be re-christened are Aurangabad (named after Mughal emperor Aurangzeb), Muslim dominated Madanpura, Khalispur, Kazzakpura and others.

Sources said that there was a proposal to rename Aurangabad as Narayan Dham, Khalispur as Brahmateerth, Kazzakpura as Anarak Teerth and Madanpura as Pushpdantheshwar.

These names were suggested by the vedic scholars, who were associated with the Varanasi based Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, a centre for learning the Sanskrit language, Sanatan Dharma and vedic literature.

Some saffron outfits had earlier staged demonstrations in the town demanding renaming of some localities stating that they should be named after Hindu gods and goddesses and other Hindu icons and great personalities. A memorandum was also submitted to the Varanasi Mayor in this regard.

While the Hindu outfits have welcomed the proposal to rename these localities in Varanasi, the opposition parties said that it was nothing but a ploy to divert the attention of the people by the BJP from the failures of its government in the state.

The BJP government, during its first stint, had also changed the names of some districts in the state.