The Maharashtra government has announced the renaming of Ahmednagar town to ‘Ahilyanagar’ in honor of the legendary Queen of Indore, Rani Ahilyabai Holkar. Additionally, seven suburban railway stations in Mumbai will receive modern identities.
The decision was made during a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The renaming of Velhe taluka in Pune district to ‘Rajgad’ was also approved, commemorating the historic fort, which served as the first capital of the Maratha Empire under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s reign for 27 years.
The seven suburban railway stations on the Central Railway and Western Railway lines in Mumbai are set to undergo name changes. Curry Road station will be known as Lalbaug station, Sandhurst Road as Dongri station, Marine Lines as Mumbadevi station, Charni Road as Girgaon station, Cotton Green as Kalachowki station, Dockyard as Mazagaon station, and Kings Circle as Tirthankar Parshvanath station.
Following approval from the Maharashtra Legislature, the proposals for these name changes will be forwarded to the Union Home Ministry and Railways for clearance and implementation.
This decision follows previous renaming initiatives by the state government, including changing Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad to Dharashiv. The latest round of renaming comes ahead of the Model Code of Conduct for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, signalling the government’s commitment to historical and cultural legacies.
