In a big announcement during the Diwali celebrations, CM Yogi has restored the name of Faizabad district. Ram Nagari Ayodhya is located in the district of Faizabad. According to media reports, henceforth the district of Faizabad would be known as Ayodhya.
Faizabad is named after Shuja ud-Dulah’s courtier Munshi Mohammed Faiz Baksh. Since it is the area of ancient Kosala kingdom’s capital, Ayodhya, there have been recurring demands to rename the city as ‘Ayodhya Dham.’ Last year, UP Deputy CM had also stated that the government is considering the restoration of the name.
CM Yogi has organized a grand Diwali celebration in Ayodhya and has invited the First lady of South Korea along with several other delegates. The invitation was sent to reinforce the ancient ties of Ayodhya with South Korea. CM Yogi has also announced recently that a 151 meter statue of Bhagwan Ram would be built on the banks of Saryu.
The announcement of the name change of Faizabad comes on the heels of a similar restoration of the name of erstwhile Allahabad to Prayagraj. After coming to power, CM Yogi has put special emphasis on the development of Ayodhya and Ramayana related sites in the vicinity of the city. He has also taken steps to recognize the ancient ties between South Korea and Ayodhya. In this regard, CM Yogi also announced establishment of a park honoring the South Korean queen who was said to have travelled from Ayodhya.
Restoring original name of the cities is very important. Invaders and colonizers used to change the name of the place in order to remove the identity of that place. A name is not just a name, it is much more than that. When a place loses its name, along with that it also loses its history, culture, identity and pride. If someone breaks our identity then we don’t know who we are and it becomes easier for anyone to colonize our minds. Result of this can be seen, there are very few Indians who talk about historical roots of Indian culture. Our entire history revolves around Muslim dynasties and British rule. There are millions of Indians who feel ashamed to talk about our ancient culture. Restoring the names of these cities is a step towards de-colonizing the young minds.