Hours after Maharashtra Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil announced the Centre's approval of the proposal to rename Ahmednagar district to Ahilyanagar, a notification for the same was issued on Saturday, October 5.
According to the information released, the name of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra has now officially been changed to Ahilyanagar, in honor of the 18th-century ruler of Indore, Ahilyabai Holkar, who hailed from the district.
Significantly, the decision to rename the district was first announced by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Addressing a public event in Ahmednagar in May 2023 on the occasion of the 298th birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar, CM Shinde confirmed the state’s decision to rename the district after the revered Maratha queen, who was born in Chondi village in Ahmednagar district.
In March 2024, the Maharashtra government approved the proposal to rename Ahmednagar as Ahilyanagar and forwarded it to the Centre for final approval, which has now been approved.
Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that the present development marked the third major time when the district name has been changed in the state. In September 2023, the Maharashtra government issued notifications renaming the Aurangabad and Osmanabad Revenue Divisions to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv Revenue Divisions, respectively.
