Feroz Shah Kotla is Being Renamed as Arun Jaitley Stadium. Know Other Places Renamed Before.

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has decided to rename the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium as Arun Jaitley Stadium in the memory of its former President and the former Finance and Defence Minister of India.

Another addition to the long list of renamings already done in the nation, the ceremony will take place on September 12. Is this the first instance that an entity to the public’s disposal is going to be renamed? No, we all know that very well.

Governments in the past have renamed many cities and roads and stadiums throughout the territory of India. While some of these renamings are done to honour the dead, some are done to refresh the historical legacies.

Let’s have a look at some of the prominent renamings done in the past and some which are still seeking approval on the desks of ministers.

1. Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium

The latest addition, Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium will now be known as Arun Jaitley Stadium. The second oldest international cricket stadium in India is going to be renamed in memory of the former minister who passed away a few days back.

2. Race Course Road

One of the most ‘guarded’ areas in the capital also got subjected to the name changing spree. The Race Course Road, which also houses the Prime Minister’s residence, is now known as Lok Kalyan Marg.

3. Mughalsarai Junction

2 years back, the Centre approved the renaming of Mughalsarai Junction after the former leader Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya.

4. Aurangzeb Road

A prominent road in the Lutyen’s Bungalow Zone which was formerly known as Aurangzeb Road is now popular as Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Road.

5. Jollygrant Airport

The sole airport in the northern state of Uttarakhand, located on the outskirts of Dehradun, is going to be renamed as Atal Bihari Vajpayee Airport after the former Prime Minister of the country.

6. Dikkibandi Stadium

The Dikkibandi Stadium in the North-Eastern state of Meghalaya has been renamed after the former Lok Sabha speaker P.A. Sangma.

Well, these were some of the renamings which have already been approved. However, there are a lot more still waiting for approval from the governments, planning to alter our histories.

1. West Bengal

The West Bengal cabinet has already passed a resolution to rename the state as ‘Bangla’. However, the Center has denied this change as the state government is seeking it just to make the name appear above in the lists organized alphabetically.

2. Pune

A proposal is being withheld to rename Pune as Jijapur, after Chhatrapati Shivaji’s mother Jijamata.

3. Agra

Sounding a bit absurd, a lawmaker from UP has demanded that Agra be renamed as Agrawal. Isn’t that too much?

Some of these name changes do sound genuine but at times people do cross limits. Maybe they took Shakespeare way seriously when the bard said, “What’s in a name?”