Maharashtra To Honor 18th-Century Queen: Ahmednagar To Be Renamed Ahilyanagar

The Maharashtra Cabinet recently approved renaming Ahmednagar city to Ahilyanagar, after the revered Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar. This move follows a trend of renaming cities named after historical figures no longer seen as representative of the region.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde first announced the proposal in May 2023.

The city of Ahmednagar derived its name from Ahmed Nizamshah, the founder of the Nizamshahi dynasty and Ahmednagar town in the 15th century.

This renaming follows the precedent set in 2022 when Aurangabad and Osmanabad were respectively renamed to Sambhaji Nagar and Dharashiv. Previously, Aurangabad and Osmanabad were named after Mughal emperors Aurangzeb and Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan.