Yogi government wants to change the name of Agra to Agravan

Lucknow: The BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government seems to be on name changing spree as the Yogi Adityanath dispensation in Uttar Pradesh is mulling changing the name of Agra to Agravan.

The Yogi government had earlier changed the names of Allahabad to Prayagraj, Faizabad to Ayodhya and Mughalsarai to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar.

The state government has asked the history department of Ambedkar University in Agra to analyse the historical aspect of the name.

The head of the department of history in the university that they are now looking at the proposal and have begun research.

"We have received a letter from the state government to look for historical evidence if Agra city was known by any other name. We have begun the research and will reply to the letter," Prof Sugam Anand, head of the department was quoted as saying by news



agency.

The BJP-led state government is planning to change the name from Agra to Agravan as some historians believe that this was the original name of the city that is home to the Taj Mahal, the agency reported, citing unidentified sources.

The state administration has asked historians and experts to look into the circumstances and time when Agravan's name was changed to Agra.

Earlier, BJP MLA Jagan Prasad Garg, who passed away recently, had written a letter to Adityanath, requesting him to change the name of Agra to Agravan.

Tourism trade experts, however, said that change of name will not be welcomed by many as Agra is famous across the world as the city of Taj Mahal.

"Agra is known worldwide as the city of Taj Mahal and a change of name would not go down well," said Rakesh Tiwari, a travel and tour operator.