‘Call It Indraprastha’: Delhi govt urged to rename city and key landmarks
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday wrote a letter to Delhi culture minister Kapil Mishra demanding that Delhi be renamed 'Indraprastha'.
The Delhi government has reportedly received a request for changing Delhi's name to ‘Indraprastha’ as well as the renaming of several other landmarks of the city, including the Indira Gandhi International Airport, also after the same.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday wrote a letter to Delhi culture minister Kapil Mishra demanding that Delhi be renamed 'Indraprastha' to connect the city with its ancient history and culture, according to PTI news agency.
The letter also demands renaming Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI Airport) as Indraprastha International Airport, Delhi Railway Station as Indraprastha Railway Station and Shahjahanabad Development Board as Indraprastha Development Board.
What did VHP say in the letter
VHP Delhi prant secretary Surendra Kumar Gupta said in the letter that the name of Delhi "should be changed back to Indraprastha" so that the name of the capital can be associated with its ancient history and culture."
It is believed that a city called Indraprastha mentioned in the Hindu mythological epic Mahabharata corresponds to modern-day Delhi.
"Names aren't mere changes; they mirror a nation's consciousness. When we say Delhi, we only see a period of 2,000 years. But when we say Indraprastha, we connect with a glorious history spanning 5,000 years," PTI quoted the letter.
The VHP leader demanded that Delhi's heritage walk should include forts, temples, and monuments of Hindu kings to ensure a "balanced presentation" of the city's overall history.
Hindu heroes, sages, and sites from the Pandava period should also be introduced “wherever there are memorials to Muslim invaders”, he said, adding that memorials should be built near them.
A "grand memorial" in the name of King Hemchandra Vikramaditya and a King Hemchandra Vikramaditya Military School should be established in Delhi, Gupta said.
The history of Hemchandra Vikramaditya and Indraprastha during the Pandava period should be included in Delhi's education curriculum, Surendra Kumar Gupta added.
Surendra Kumar Gupta attributed the demands to suggestions given by scholars, historians and public representatives at an event, 'Indraprastha Punarjagran Sankalp Sabha', held recently in Delhi.
