The Etymology of Indian Cities

1. Lucknow-The city of Nawabs

• The capital city of Indian State Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow is the anglicized version of Lakhnau. Over time the city had many names like Lakshmanauti, Lakshmnaut, Lakshnau
• One legend says that city got its name from Lakshmana (Hindi: लक्ष्मण), Hero of Hindu epic - Ramayana. Legends say that he had a palace in this region and was called Lakshamanapuri (meaning Lakshman’s city)
• Another theory states that the city’s name come from the name of Hindu goddess of wealth - Lakshmi

2. Pune - Oxford of the East

• With estimated population of 7.4 million, the city has been ranked 'the most livable city in India several times. Pune is located in the state of Maharashtra and is the second largest city after Mumbai (of Maharashtra).
• Dating back to 937 CE Pune is mentioned as Punya-Vishaya (meaning - Sacred News)in an inscription of Copper plate of Rashtrakuta Dynasty. By the end of 13th century, the city came to known as Punawadi.
• Under Rashtrakuta dynasty we also find names inscripted like Punakka and Punyapur.
• Copper plates during the time of Yadava Clan that the city was renamed as Punakavishaya and Punya Vishaya (Vishaya means land and Punya means holy). During the reign of Marathas, city was called Kasbe Pune.
• Mughal Emperor - Aurangzeb renamed this city as Muhiyabad, in memory of his great grandson Muhi-ul-Milan who died here. (This is the only contradictory name of Pune).
• During the British era in 1857, Pune was named Poona and after independence in 1978,city was named as Pune as we now know it today.

    


3. Thiruvananthapuram - Evergreen city of India

• Capital city of Indian state of Kerala, it is also popularly called Trivandrum (its former name), Mahatma Gandhi called this city as the 'Evergreen city of India'.
• This city derives its name from Malayalam word thiru-anantha-puram which means 'The city of Lord Ananta'.
• According to Carnatic Kirtans composed by Swathi Thirunal, Ananthapuri gets its name form Sanskrit word Syanandurapuram meaning 'The city of Bliss'.
• Till 1991, the city was called Trivandrum and after that it was changed to its original name i.e. Thiruvananthapuram

4. Jamshedpur - Steel city of India

• One of the first planned cities of Independent India, the city is located in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
• The city was previously a village named Sakchi which was later changed to its, present name - Jamshedpur.
• In 1919, Lord Chelmsford named this city Jamshedpur in honor of Jamsetji Tata - the founder of Tata Group and yes, this city as well.

5. Guwahati - Gateway to North-East India

• Guwahati was earlier called Gauhati and is the largest city in the state of Assam. The city is situated on the south bank of river Brahmaputra.
• Under the kingdom of Kamarupa, Guwahati was known as Pragjyotishpura (meaning the light of the east) and was also the capital of Kamarupa state along with Durjaya (nowdays, North Guwahati).
• Guwahati gets its name from Assamese word Guva which translates to 'areca nut' and Hati means 'market'. So the word Guwahati simply means the market of areca nut.

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