The demand that the capital Delhi should now be changed to Indraprastha has been made by Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal. He has sent a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying that the history of Delhi is thousands of years old and this is the same land where Pandavas had established their capital Indraprastha during the Mahabharata period. Therefore Delhi should be called by its ancient and glorious name.
MP Khandelwal has requested in his letter that Old Delhi Railway Station should be named Indraprastha Junction and Indira Gandhi International Airport should be named Indraprastha Airport. Also, grand statues of Pandavas should be installed at some prominent place in Delhi so that the new generation can connect with the ancient civilization and culture of India. He has also sent a copy of the letter to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
‘Indraprastha is not a name but a soul’
Khandelwal said that Indraprastha is not just a name but a symbol of governance based on India’s soul, religion and policy. When other historical cities of the country – Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Varanasi and Ujjain – have regained their ancient identity, then Delhi should also get its real name. He said that this change is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of cultural renaissance.
‘Indraprastha Nagar was born from Hastinapur’
He told that during the Mahabharata period (about 3000 BC), the Pandavas changed their capital from Hastinapur and established Indraprastha city on the banks of Yamuna. Later this area also remained a center of trade and culture during the Maurya, Gupta and Rajput periods. During the rule of Tomar kings, it was called Dhillika, from which the word Delhi was formed.
Praveen Khandelwal says that names like Indraprastha Airport and Indraprastha Junction will present the ancient identity of India to the world and will also promote religious tourism. This will also boost employment, business and local economy.
‘Coming generations can know the name’
He said, “Delhi is not just a modern capital but is the living heritage of the pious city of Pandavas. Now the time has come that the capital of the country should get back its real name and identity so that the coming generations can know that the capital of India is not only the center of power but also a land symbolizing the tradition of religion, policy and justice.”
