Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said Mustafabad in Lakhimpur Kheri district would be renamed Kabirdham, asserting that the change would restore the area’s historical and cultural identity linked with Sant Kabir.

Addressing a gathering at the Smriti Mahotsav Mela 2025 at Kabirdham Ashram in Lakhimpur Kheri, Adityanath said: “I came to know about Mustafabad when I arrived here. I am told that there is no Muslim population here. This village should be known as Kabirdham. I have sought a proposal (from the local authorities).”

Adityanath paid tributes to the saints who founded the Kabirdham Ashram decades ago, saying they carried forward the spirit of Kabir’s message through their lives and service.

There is no historical record linking Sant Kabir to Mustafabad.

Adityanath said the BJP government had made nationalism its guiding force.

“We follow true nationalism, which was absent before 2014. The Hindu faith was under attack before. But we established the honour of Ayodhya and Kashi,” he said.

He claimed that public funds were now being directed towards cultural and religious rejuvenation projects.

“Earlier, this money used to go for constructing boundary walls of kabristan (graveyards). Now it is being used to develop our centres of faith and heritage,” he remarked.

Adityanath said such efforts reflected a sense of cultural pride and continuity.

“Those who ruled earlier renamed Ayodhya as Faizabad, Prayagraj as Allahabad, and Kabirdham as Mustafabad. Our government is reversing that — restoring Ayodhya, restoring Prayagraj, and now reviving Kabirdham to its rightful name,” he said.

The ancient city was known as Prayag before Mughal emperor Akbar built a fort near the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna in the 16th century and named it Ilahabad, which was later modified to Allahabad.

A small area within Faizabad was known as Ayodhya in the medieval times. Several Hindu scriptures mention Ayodhya as the birthplace of Ram.

Linking Kabir’s ideals with present-day India, Adityanath said: “Today’s India takes pride in its heritage while setting new benchmarks in development. A society that draws inspiration from saints like Kabir can overcome every challenge — social, moral or spiritual.”

Ram temple

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday announced the completion of all temple construction work at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, including the main shrine of Prabhu Shri Ramlalla.