The name-changing bug has now bitten the Varanasi Municipal Corporation, which is planning to rechristen as many as 50 localities in the city, a majority of which have a substantial Muslim population.
The civic body has sought name suggestions from the public, and Hindutva groups — which had originally raised the demand — have gone into an overdrive.
Aurangabad, which was named after Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, is likely to be renamed Parashuram Chawk, Laxmi Nagar or Narayani Dham. There is a proposal to change the name of Khalispur to Brahmatirth or Brahmeshwartirth.
Madanpura, where a large number of Muslim weavers have been living for centuries, will be called Pushpdanteshwar.
Though Hindutva groups have long been at the forefront of the name-change bandwagon, the municipal corporation’s plan is likely to have been put on the fast track by a recent statement made by Swami Rambhadracharya, a visually impaired, self-styled sadhu and the founder of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University in Chitrakoot.
Considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Rambhadracharya had at an event in Banaras Hindu University on March 24 said: “We should change the names of all the places known after the Muslim invaders. Modiji is my very good friend, and I’ll talk to him about it.”
Modi represents Varanasi in the Lok Sabha.
Sources in the state government said that soon after Rambhadracharya’s statement, the civic body requested scholars of Sampurnanand Sanskrit University to identify the areas to be rechristened and suggest alternative names that aligned with the Hindu tradition.
Several Hindutva groups have also sent in their suggestions.
Ajay Sharma, the state president of the Sanatan Rakshak Dal, said: “We have proposed to rename Golgadda as Vishwakarma Nagar, Pilikothi as Swarntirth and Kazzakpura as Anarastirth.”
Sandeep Srivastava, public relations officer of the Varanasi Nagar Nigam, said: “Some organisations had submitted memoranda to change the names and a discussion on it is underway.”
The municipal corporation has also banned the sale of non-vegetarian items around the temples in the city during Navaratri and ordered meat shops to keep their shutters down from March 30 to April 7.
Although Eid will be celebrated on March 31 or April 1, the Muslims have not yet reacted to the order.
Varanasi mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari said: “The proposals (for name change) are being considered and decisions are being taken keeping in view the expectations of the people. We prevented the sale of meat and other non-vegetarian items because it is part of Varanasi’s tradition.”
He denied allegations that only those areas with high Muslim populations had been identified for the name change. “Thirty per cent areas with high Hindu population, such as Dalmandi, Jaitpur and Chitaipur, have also been picked,” he claimed.