The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has urged the Delhi government to rename the national capital as Indraprastha to reflect what it calls the city’s “ancient heritage and culture.”
In a letter to Delhi Culture Minister Kapil Mishra, the VHP’s Delhi unit also demanded that the Indira Gandhi International Airport be renamed Indraprastha International Airport, the Delhi Railway Station as Indraprastha Railway Station, and the Shahjahanabad Development Board as the Indraprastha Development Board.
“The name of Delhi should be changed back to Indraprastha so that the capital is linked with its ancient history,” said VHP Delhi secretary Surendra Kumar Gupta in the letter.
“Names aren’t just labels; they represent a nation’s consciousness. When we say Delhi, it reflects only 2,000 years of history. But when we say Indraprastha, we connect with a glorious civilization that’s 5,000 years old,” Gupta added.
The VHP also called for the inclusion of forts, temples, and monuments of Hindu kings in Delhi’s heritage walks to give what Gupta described as a “balanced view” of the city’s past.
“Wherever there are memorials to Muslim invaders, Hindu heroes, sages, and sites from the Pandava era should also be introduced, and new memorials should be built near them,” he said.
The organization further demanded the construction of a “grand memorial” dedicated to King Hemchandra Vikramaditya and the establishment of a military school named after him in Delhi.
Gupta also suggested that the history of Hemchandra Vikramaditya and the ancient city of Indraprastha from the Pandava period be included in the school curriculum.
According to the VHP, these proposals emerged from discussions held with scholars, historians, and public representatives during a recent event titled Indraprastha Punarjagran Sankalp Sabha in Delhi.
