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| Delhi was known as Dhillika During Ancient Times |
Take Varanasi for example. The present city of Varanasi was referred as Kasika, Avimukta, Anandavana, and Rudravasa in ancient Vedic texts. During the age of Buddha, it sheded its Vedic past and became Kashi and with time, it evolved into Banaras and later with the British conquest, it again evolved as Benras. After India gained its independence, it again sheded its British past behind and became Varanasi.
It is reported that there are more than 100 cities and towns that have changed their names since the independece of India and the process of name change is still going on. Gurgaon, now Gurugram, is one of the recent examples.
List of Old Names of Indian Cities and States
| New Name | Old Name/s |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | |
| Amravati | Amarapura |
| Guntur | Garthapuri |
| Kakinada | Kakinandiwada, Cocanada (British) |
| Kurnool | Kandanavrolu, Kandenavolu |
| Prakasam | Ongole |
| Nellore | Nelluru |
| Machilipatnam | Matsyapuri, Masolia, Chepalarevu, Masulipatam, Bandar, Bandaru |
| Visakhapatnam | Waltair, Vizagapatam |
| Assam | |
| Guwahati | Gauhati |
| Nagaon | Nowgong |
| Bihar | Magadha |
| Patna | Patliputra |
| Delhi | Dhillika, Indraprastha |
| Gujarat | |
| Bharuch | Broach |
| Bhavnagar | Bhavena |
| Khambat | Cambay |
| Surat | Suryapur |
| Vododra | Boroda, Vadpatra, Chandravati |
| Valsad | Bulsar |
| Haryana | |
| Gurugram | Gurgaon |
| Himachal Pradesh | |
| Mandav Nagar | Mandi |
| Simla | Shimla |
| Goa | |
| Panjim | Panaji |
| Sankhali | Sanquelim |
| Karnataka | Mysore State |
| Ballari | Bellary |
| Belagavi | Belgaum |
| Bengaluru | Bangalore, Bendakalooru |
| Chikkamagaluru | Chikmagalur |
| Hosapete | Hospet |
| Hubballi | Hubli, Hoobhalli |
| Kalaburgi | Gulbarga |
| Madikeri | Marcera |
| Mangaluru | Mangalore, Mangalooru |
| Mysuru | Mysore, |
| Shivamogga | Shimoga |
| Tumakuru | Tumkur |
| Vijayapura | Bijapur |
| Kerala | Travancore-Cochin State |
| Alappuzha | Alleppey |
| Aluva | Alwaye |
| Changanassery | Changanacherry |
| Cherpulassery | Cherpalchery |
| Cherthala | Sherthalai |
| Kochi | Cochin |
| Kodungallur | Cranganore |
| Koyilandy | Quilandy |
| Kozhikode | Calicut |
| Kollam | Quilon |
| Thrissur | Trichur |
| Kannur | Cannanore |
| Pala | Palai |
| Palakkad | Palghat |
| Paravur | Parur |
| Pattambi | Nethirimangalam |
| Sultan Bathery | Sultan's Battery |
| Thalassery | Tellicherry |
| Thiruvananthapuram | Trivandrum |
| Vatakara | Badagara |
| Varapuzha | Verapoly |
| Konni | Koney |
| Laccadive, Minicoy and Aminidivi Islands | Lakshadweep |
| Madhya Pradesh | Central Provinces |
| Bheraghat | Bellasgate |
| Dr. Ambedkar Nagar | Mhow |
| Indore | Indur |
| Jabalpur | Jubbulpore |
| Mandavgarh | Mandu |
| Raisen | Rassen |
| Sagar | Saugor |
| Shahdol | Viratnagari |
| Ujjain | Avantika |
| Vidisha | Bhelsa |
| Maharashtra | |
| Aurangabad | Khadki |
| Latur | Ratnapur |
| Mumbai | Bombay |
| Nashik | Nasik |
| Pune | Poona |
| Thane | Thana |
| Odisha | Orrisa, Kalinga |
| Abdul Kalam Island | Wheeler Island |
| Pondicherry | |
| Puducherry | Pondicherry |
| Yanam | Yanaon |
| Punjab | |
| Jalandhar | Jullunder |
| Rupnagar | Ropar |
| Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar | Mohali |
| Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar | Nawanshahr |
| Rajasthan | |
| Ajmer | Ajaymeru |
| Mansanagar | Dhedhi Dhani |
| Tamil Nadu | Madras State |
| Chennai | Madras |
| Karur | Karuvur |
| Kanchipuram | Conjeevaram |
| Kanyakumari | Cape Comorin |
| Madurai | Madura |
| Parangipettai | Porto Novo |
| Mayiladuthurai | Mayavaram |
| Thanjavur | Tanjore |
| Tharangambadi | Tranquebar |
| Tirunelveli | Tinnevelly |
| Tiruchirapalli | Trichinopoly |
| Tiruvannamalai | Trinomalee |
| Thoothukudi | Tuticorin |
| Udagamandalam | Ootacamund |
| Virudhunagar | Virudupatti |
| Telangana | |
| Adilabad | Adlapur |
| Karimnagar | Elagandla |
| Nizamabad | Indur |
| Medak | Siddapur, Metukuseema, Gulshanabad |
| Mahabubnagar | Rukmampet, Palamoor |
| Warangal | Orugallu |
| Bhongir | Bhuvanagiri |
| Khammam | Kambhammettu |
| Uttrakhand | Uttranchal |
| Uttar Pradesh | United Provinces |
| Aligarh | Allygurh |
| Kanpur | Cawnpore |
| Varanasi | Banaras |
| Prayagraj | Allahabad, Prayag |
| Ayodhya | Faizabad |
| West Bengal | |
| Kolkata | Calcutta |
| Bardhaman | Burdwan |
| Chuchura | Chinsurah |
| Baranagar | Barahanagore |
| Medinipur | Midnapore |
| Haora | Howrah |