[Bibi ka Maqbera in Aurangabad is a tourists hunt.]
Mumbai: The Narendra Modi government in New Delhi Friday notified the change of names for Aurangabad and Osmanabad cities in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra.
Accordingly, Aurangabad will now be known as 'Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar' and Osmanabad shall be called 'Dharashiv', as per a Central notification.
This comes after the Maharashtra government wrote to the Centre on October 20, 2022, seeking the change of names that were cleared by the state cabinet.
While Osmanabad reverts to its ancient name of 'Dharashiv' after a group of caves near the town, Aurangabad will honour the Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's son and successor - Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.
Sambhaji Maharaj ruled after his father for 8 years (1681-1689), till his death at the age of 31 in March 1689.
Soon after the Centre's communication, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for making this possible.
The Maharashtra cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had approved the contentious proposals of renaming Aurangabad and Osmanabad in its meeting held on June 29, 2022.
The cabinet meeting was the last Uddhav Thackeray presided as Chief Minister. He resigned as Chief Minister soon later following the rebellion by his party MLAs.
The new government headed by Eknath Shinde sent the proposal to the Centre, though he was urged by the people of Aurangabad to reconsider.
Aurangabad was founded in 1610 AD by Malik Amber, the Prime Minister of Murtaza Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar, near a village known as “Khirki”.
It was ruled by Nizam of Hyderabad up to the formation of State of Maharashtra under the provisions of States Reorganisation Act of 1956.
Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in whose name the city was named, rests in Khuldabad - about 26 kms from Aurangabad.
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