From 'Delhi' to 'Indraprastha'? BJP MP writes to Amit Shah again over renaming national capital; cites Mumbai, Kolkata examples

In a move that brings forward the debate over history and identity in India, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal yet again urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday to consider renaming Delhi as ‘Indraprastha.’

In a detailed letter, Khandelwal said the name “Delhi” does not do justice to the city’s ancient past. He argued that India’s capital should wear its civilisational legacy instead of representing only a “phase” of it.

This marked the second letter the MP has sent to the Home Ministry in nearly four months on the matter.


Drawing parallels with the renaming of Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Prayagraj, he further argued that restoring historically rooted names has become part of a broader effort to reclaim India’s ancient identity.

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"...As such, the name "Delhi" reflects a limited historical period rather than the deeper and more enduring legacy of the city. Restoring the name Indraprastha would therefore reconnect the capital of modern India with its ancient civilizational foundation. It would symbolise that the seat of the world's largest democracy stands upon the legacy of one of humanity's oldest cultural traditions," the BJP leader's letter reads.

"The renaming of Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Prayagraj are examples where historical and cultural heritage was rightfully restored," he added.

A capital rooted in the Mahabharata?

Khandelwal anchored his appeal in mythology and archaeology alike.

Citing the Mahabharata, he noted that Indraprastha, the fabled capital built by the Pandavas, stood along the banks of the Yamuna, mirroring the geography of modern-day Delhi.

He also referred to excavations at Purana Qila by the Archaeological Survey of India, where settlement layers dating back to around 1000 BCE and Painted Grey Ware pottery linked to the epic era were unearthed.

For the MP, these findings are more than historical footnotes as they are evidence that the capital of the world’s largest democracy rests on the foundations of one of humanity’s oldest living civilizations.

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"Archaeological excavations conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India at Purana Qila have revealed ancient settlement layers dating back to around 1000 BCE, along with Painted Grey Ware pottery associated with the Mahabharata era. These findings strongly support the historical belief that the ancient city of Indraprastha once flourished at the site where Delhi stands today," the letter goes on to read.

By contrast, he argued, the name “Delhi” traces back to medieval references such as Dhillika or Dehli, reflecting a later chapter in the city’s layered past. Renaming it “Indraprastha’’, he wrote, would symbolically reconnect the seat of power with its earliest civilisational identity.

"The name Delhi emerged during a much later historical phase. Scholars believe the name evolved from medieval references such as Dhillika or Dehli, associated with ruling dynasties of the early mediéval period. While these phases are part of the city's history, they do not represent its earliest identity or civilizational origin," Khandelwal further attempted to justify.

Khandelwal also pointed out that the name Indraprastha is already woven into the capital’s everyday life, from institutions to landmarks, suggesting that the idea may not feel unfamiliar to residents.

Calling the proposal a “landmark initiative,” he urged the Home Ministry to begin consultations with historians, archaeologists and other stakeholders to examine the feasibility of the change.