Click to play videoThe history of south India can be traced back to over 2,000 years. However, it was only 50 years ago when the four southern states were created along linguistic lines.
CNN-IBN unveils the changing face of south India and celebrates the Dravidian spirit in a special series The Golden South.
Bangalore: It's time to say goodbye to Bangalore and say hello to Bengaluru.
The rechristening of India's IT hub on Wednesday will be just one among a series of changes that will be incorporated for other major towns in the state.
The name changes will be officially announced on November 1 which is also the Suvarana Kannada Rajyotsava, the 50th anniversary of southern states.
But is the city taking well to its new name?
Karnataka State Home Minister M P Prakash says, “Because English people could not pronounce properly these things we want to correct. By November 1 such orders will be given and hereafter it will be known as Bengaluru, Mengaluru, Belgavi etc."
The government will formally announce the change on the November 1. But implementing it will take some time. So how did this all come about? Meet Jnanpith awardee Dr U R Ananthamurthy, the man who demanded the change last year.
Ananthamurthy says, “In Kannada language 'U' is a great enabler. For instance like take any English word and make it into Kannada word by joining 'U'. Chair 'Chairu' table 'tablu'."
Original Name | Changed Name |
| Mysore | Mysuru |
| Mangalore | Mangaluru |
| Shimoga | Shivamogga |
| Tumkur | Tumakuru |
| Kolar | Kolara |
| Hassan | Haasana |
| Raichur | Rayachuru |
| Belgaum | Belagaavi |
Kannada Development Authority Chairman Siddalingaiah says, “Karnataka's state capital Bangalore and other major cities in the state have been anglicised. This is shameful for all Kannadigas. So it is important to change the names."
Brand name
What's in a name? Well, quite a lot if you ask advertising brand gurus. India's Silicon Valley has carefully built her image over a number of years and some are worried the Bengaluru might just leave Bangalore Bangalored.
Brand Manager Harish Bijoor says, “Very simply I think Shakespeare who was right fundamentally what’s in a name and that’s true. At the same time from a complete brand prospective one would say that the investment in changing of this name is going to be substantial. "
Change, they say, is constant and Karnataka has seen a lot of that in the last 50 years.
The name change is perhaps not the last of them but one hopes that like in the rest of India, Bangalore and Bengaluru will learn to co-exist and complement each other.
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