Asm: অভয়াপুৰী abhaẏāpuri ‘Ahhayeswari’s City’ -Town, Assam. From Abhayeswari and Skt: puri, ‘fort’, ‘city. Abhayapuri was the third capital of the ancient Bijni Kingdom founded by Bijit Narayan (Chandra Narayan) in the 17thC. Abhayeswari Devi was the queen at the...
Andaman and Nicobar Islands (A&N) Andaman ‘Monkey God’ Niccolo de Conti sailed past the Andamans en route to Sumatra. He wrote that the name meant ‘island of gold’. Another suggestion is that it refers to Hanuman, the monkey god of the Ramayana epic,...
Andhra Pradesh (AP) ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్ āndhra pradēsh ‘Land of the Andhras’ From Skt: āndhra, ‘Telugu people/language’; and Hin/Skt: pradēsh, ‘province’, ‘region’, ‘territory’. The Andhras were an ancient tribe with settlements in the Godavari and Krishna valleys (Vedic...
Tel: ఆదోని ādōni ‘Five Hills’ City, Andhra Pradesh. From Tel: aydu, ‘five’; and konda, ‘hill(ock)’, ‘mountain’, ‘rock’. Adoni is an ancient hill fort town which found a leading role for itself as part of the Vijayanagar kingdom in the 14-16thC. It was captured in...
Arunachal Pradesh (ArP) ‘Land of the Dawn(-lit) Mountains’. From Skt: aruṇa , ‘redness’, ‘dawn’ [‘reddish glow in the morning sky’]; Skt: ac(h)ala, ‘mountain’; and Skt: pradēśḥ, ‘province’, ‘region’, ‘territory’. Surya is the Vedic sun god and Aruna is the name of...
Assam (Asm) Asm: অসম āsāma ‘Land of the Ahom’ From Asm: syam, ‘Ahom/Shan people’. The Ahom community (who are ethically Tai/Thai) has been known here by several different but closely related names: Ahom, Asam, Aham, Shan, Syam. Spread across Asia they are known as...
Hin: आगर āgar ‘Agar’s (Town)’ Town/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP). The Bhil chief Agaria Bhil founded the town in the 10th century. It came under the control of Jhak Rajputs in the following century. The town is situated between two lakes: Moti...
Bihar (Bih) Hin: बिहार bihār ‘Monastery’ From Skt/Pali: vihāra, ‘abode’, ‘(Buddhist) monastery’. Bihar has a rich Buddhist heritage. It boasts the site of the Buddha’s Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya and has many other historic Buddist centres and vihāras dating back to...
Ben: আগরতলা āgaratalā ‘Agar Forest’ City/Capital, Tripura. Ben/Skt/Hin: aguru/agar, ‘aloe-wood’ [Aquilaria malaccensis]; and tala, ‘surface’, ‘cover’, ‘floor’ Agartala is the capital of Tripura and the second largest city in the North East after...
Chandigarh Pun: ਚੰਡੀਗੜ੍ਹ chanḍīgaṛh ’Chandi’s Fort’. From Chandi and Pun: gaṛh, ‘fort’. No actual fort ever existed. A Chandi temple protected the locals and gave the city its name. Chandika Devi is a powerful, terrifying aspect of Parvati, the Supreme Goddess....
Mal: അടൂർ aṭūr ‘Valley Town’ City, Kerala. Mal: aṭi, ‘foot’, ‘bottom’, ‘base’; and Mal: ūr/oor village, town, city. Adoor features slopes, valleys and the heaviest rainfall in Kerala (1,418mm in July alone). For related place names see Indian Place names and Kerala...
Hin: आगरा āgara ‘Gateway to the Forest’ [Agrabana, Akbarabad] – City/District, Uttar Pradesh. Skt: agra, ‘front’, ‘beginning’; and vana, ‘forest’, ‘wood’ According to Epic and Puranic authorities, ancient Agravana was surrounded by forest and was...
Kon: अग्वाद agvād ‘Water Fort’ Castle, Goa. From Por: aguada, ‘(acquisition of a) water supply’ Fort Aguada is a 17thC Portuguese 200-cannon fort built on a rocky promontory at the end of Sinquerim Beach. It was originally built to defend old Goa from Maratha and...
Guj: અમદાવાદ amadāvāda ‘Ahmad’s City’ [Ashaval, Karnavati, Amdavad] City/District, Gujarat. From Ahmad (Khan) and Per: abad, ‘settlement’. Ashaval, the city’s first name, is a corruption of Asha Palli [from Asha, a Bhil tribal chief; and Skt/Dra: palli, ‘village’,...
Mar: अहमदनगर ahamadanagara ‘Ahmad’s City’ City/District, Maharashtra Ahmadnagar. From Ahmed and Skt: nagar, ‘city’ Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah I won a surprising victory here in 1494 (against Mahmood Shah II of the Bahmani Sultanate) on the basis of which he founded...
Kan: ಐಹೊಳೆ aihoḷe ‘Aryan Village’ [Ayyavole, Aryapura, Aivalli, Ahivolal] Archaeological Site/Ancient City, Karnataka. From Skt: arya, ‘noble’, ‘excellent’; and Kan: p/v→halli, ‘village’, ‘settlement’. Aihole is a major archaeological site featuring over 120...
(Hin): ऐज़ौल aizaul ‘Rootstalk Field’ City/Capital/District, Mizoram. From Miz: ai/aidu, ‘(species of) rhizome’; and zawl, ‘plain’, ‘field’. A rhizome is an underground plant with creeping rootstalks: ginger and turmeric are examples. Aizawl was originally...
Mar: अजिंठा ajiṇṭhā ‘Shiva’ [Achinta] Caves/Archaeological site, Maharashtra. The extraordinary Ajanta Caves feature rock-cut Buddhist monuments and paintings dating from 2ndC BCE to about the 5thC all set into a horsehoe Although locals knew of their existence...
Hin: अजमेर ajamer ‘Invincible Ridge’ [Ajay Meru] City, District Rajasthan. From Ajayaraj or Skt: ajay/ajayya, ‘invincible’; and Hin: meru, ‘mountain’, ‘ridge’. Ajmer was founded by Ajayaraja I in the 7-9thC. It is positioned in a scenic valley surrounded by the...
Mar: अकोला akōlā ‘Akol Tree’ [Asadgad] City/District, Maharashtra. From Hin/Mar: akol/ankol, ‘sage-leaved alangium’ [Alangium salviifolium]. The akol/ankol is a small tree. It is used for the treatment of hemorrhoids and rheumatic arthritis. Also, legend has it...
Mal: ആലപ്പുഴ ālappuḻa ‘Broad River’ [Alleppey] City/District, Kerala. From Mal: ālam, ‘broad’; and puḻa/puzha, ‘river’ The Kerala backwaters are a complex 900km network of brackish/saltwater lagoons, lakes, rivers and canals. Lord Curzon called Alleppey, which is at...
Mar: अलिबाग alibāga. ‘Ali’s Garden’ Town, Maharashtra. From Ali and Mar/Skt: bāga/bāgh, ‘garden’, ‘orchard’. The Bene Israel Jews lived here and there is a part of the town called Israel Ali” [Mar: āḷī , ‘lane’]. Local legends tell of Eli, a Bene...
Ben: আলিপুরদুয়ার ālipuraduẏāra. ‘Ali’s City in the Dooars’ City/District, West Bengal. From Ali; Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’; and Ben: duẏāra, ‘doors’. Ali, we can assume, founded or lived in this settlement. The duar distinguishes it from Alipore/Alipur in South...
Hin: अलीराजपुर alīrājapūr. ‘Anand’s Town’ Town/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP). From Anandaoli/Ali and Rajpur [Skt/Hin: raj, ‘king’; and pur, ‘(fortified) town’, city]. Rajpur was founded in 1500. The capital of the princely...
Mal: ആലുവ āluva. ‘River Mouth’ [Alwaye] City/Dictrict, Kerala. From Mal: āl, ‘water’; ālam ‘water’, ‘sea’; and vāy/vā, ‘mouth’, ‘opening’, ‘juncture’ [Tam: aruvi, Kan/Tul: aluve/aruve, ‘river’s mouth’, ‘inlet to a backwater’]. The Periyar river becomes the...
Hin: अलवर alavar. ‘Salwar Town’ [Salwapur] City, District Rajasthan. Cunningham’s theory is that Alwar is a corruption of Salwapur [→Salwar→Halawar→Alwar] a.k.a. Saubhanagara/Salwanagar, associated with the tribe of Salwas mentioned numerous times in the Mahabharata...
Tel: అమరావతి amarāvati. ‘Immortal City’ City/Capital Andhra Pradesh. From Skt: amara, ‘ immortal’; Dra: paṭṭī/vāṭī, ‘settlement’, ‘town/village’. Amaravati was the ancient capital of the Satavahana dynasty in the 2ndC BCE. It was an important Buddhist centre and the...
Hin: अम्बाला ambāla. ‘Mango Village’ City/District, Haryana. From Hin: amba , ‘mango’; Hin: wala, ‘a place with’, ‘village’. There are two other suggestions: from the goddess Bhawani Amba whose Temple still exists in Ambala city; named after Amba Rajput...
Hin: आम्बेडकर नगर āmbēḍakara nagar, महू mahū ‘Ambedkar Town’ [Mhow-gaon, Mow] Cantonment Town, Madhya Pradesh From B. R. Ambedkar and Skt: nagar, ‘town’, ‘city’; Hin: mahuā, ‘mahua/mahwa tree’ and Skt/Hin: grama/gaon, ‘village’. Ambedkar Nagar is the official name...
Hin: आमेर amer ‘Ambikeshwar (Mahadev)’ – Fort/City, Rajasthan From Ambikeshwar. Amber Fort and Palace, and the town of Amer, date back to the 10thC. They took on their current form after being re-built and developed by Raja Man Singh I and Jai Singh I in the...
Hin: अंबिकापुर ambikāpūr ‘Ambika’s City’ – City/Capital (Surguja District), Chhattisgarh From Ambika and Skt/Hin: pur, ‘fort’, ‘city’. The name of the city comes from Ambika Mahamaya Devi, an eight-armed goddess wielding an array of weapons...
Tam: ஆம்பூர் āmpūr ‘Lily Town’ -City, Tamil Nadu From Tam: āmpal, ‘Water-lily’ [Nymphaea lotus]; and ur, ‘town’, ‘city’. The town sits on the mighty 348km Palar river and this may have been famous at one time for its water-lilies. The modern city is better known for...
Mar: अमरावती amarāvatī ‘(Place with) Figs’ [Udumbravati, Umbravati, Oomrawutty] -City/District Maharashtra From Mar: udumbara, ‘Cluster or Indian Fig’ [Ficus glomerata/racemosa]; and vāḍī/vāṭī, ‘enclosure’, ‘garden’. The Udumbara fig grows in bunches on the tree...
Guj: અમરેલી amarēlī ‘Immortal Village’ [Amarvalli/Amarpalli] – City/District, Gujarat From Guj/Skt: amar, ‘immortal’, ‘indestructible’; and Skt/Dra:: palli, ‘village’, ‘hamlet’. Amreli was transformed from a village to a town under the Gaekwad Marathas (a...
Pun: ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ amritasara ‘Pool of Immortality’ [Ramdaspur] -City/District, Punjab From Skt: amṛta ‘immortal’; and saras, ‘pool’, ‘lake’ Amritsar was founded by the 4th Sikh Guru, Ram Das, in 1577. He built a temple here surrounded...
Guj: આણંદ āṇand(a) ‘City of Joy’ -City/District, Gujarat From Guj/Skt: anand, ‘joy’, ‘bliss’; and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. This implies an underlying Anandpur for which there is no evidence here (although there are 63 Anandpurs in India). Of the four Anands in...
Tel: అనంతపురం anantapuraṁ(u) ‘Boundless Ocean’ [Anantapuramu] – City/District, Andhra Pradesh From Skt: ananta, ‘endless’, ‘infinite’; and pur, ‘town’, ‘city’. Anantapur was named after a big tank/reservoir called Anantasagara [Skt: sāgara, ‘sea’, ‘ocean’]....
Mal: അഞ്ചൽ añcal ‘Stopover’ Town, Kerala From Mal/Tam: añcal, ‘relay’, ‘stop-over’, ‘staging post’. It is possible that Anchal was an important junction or stopover from ancient times in an area which was mostly forest paths. Anchal was also the name of...
Mal: അങ്കമാലി aṅkamāli ‘Trading Port’ [Angadikadavu] Town, Kerala From Tam/Mal: aṅkāṭi/aṅgaḍi, ‘bazaar’, ‘market’; Mal: kaṭavu, ‘beach’, ‘landing place’, ‘wharf’; and māli/maly, ‘(sea)port’. Manjaly thodu [Mal: tōṭu, ‘water-course’] which flows through the town...
Odi: ଅନୁଗୋଳ anugoḻa ‘Pleasant City’ [Angulaka-Pattana, Anugul] – City/District, Odisha From Skt: anukūla, ‘favourable’, ‘agreeable‘ (lit. ‘with the slope/current/grain’); and Odi: paṭṭana, ‘town’, ‘city’. Angul is referred to as the...
Search for: Discover the Key to Indian & Sri Lankan Place Names This site gathers together research on the origins of the most common place names in India & Sri Lanka: states, cities, towns, districts and more. It attempts the impossible because India &...
Kon: हणजुणें haṇajuṇēṁ ‘Merchant Guild’ – Town/Beach, Goa From Kan/Tel: hanjama, hanjamana, ‘merchant guild’ [Per: anjuman; Tam: anjuvannam]. This term referred to a medieval association of Persian or Arabic merchants and traders. In the 10thC this was a...
Tam: அரக்கோணம் arakkōṇam ‘Six Angles’ Town, suburb (Chennai), Tamil Nadu Tam: āṟu/aṟumai, ‘six’; kōṇam, ‘angle’, ‘corner’. Arakkonam, it is said, sits on an important junction linking six key towns: Kanchipuram, Thakkolam, Manavur, Thiruvalangadu, Tiruttani, Ponnai...
Mal: ആറന്മുള āṟanmuḷa ‘Six Bamboo (Boat)’ Town, Kerala From Mal: aṟu, ‘six’; and muḷa, ‘bamboo’. The 6thC Parthasarathy temple here is named after Krishna in his role as Arjuna’s charioteer in the Bhagavad-Gita [Skt: pārtha, ‘ Pāṇḍava’, ‘Arjuna’; and sārathy(am),...
Hin: अरावली arāvalī ‘Line of Jagged Peaks’ – Mountain Range From Skt: ārāvalī, ‘row of awl-shaped hills’ [Skt: ārā, ‘shoemaker’s awl/knife; Skt: āvali, ‘row’, ‘range’]. The mountains stretch 700 km through Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat reaching a...
Tam: ஆற்காடு āṟkāṭu ‘Forest Way’ [Arkkadu] Town, Tamil Nadu Tam: āṟu, ’river’, ‘way’, ‘road’; and Tam: kāṭu ‘forest’, ‘wood’ Arcot was the HQ of the Nawab of the Carnatic (also Nawab of Arcot), a dependency of the Nizam of Hyderabad and a centre for...
Hin: आरा āra ‘Forest Town’ City, Bihar From Skt: aranya, ‘forest’; and Skt: nagaram, ‘town’, ‘city’. A Jain inscription refers to a town called Aramnagar which suggests a corruption of an original Aranya. It is highly likely that the area around here was...
Hin: अशोकनगर ashokanagar ‘Ashok Town’ [Pachhar] Town/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From (Emperor) Ashoka; and Hin: nagar, ‘city’, ‘town’. The suggestion that the name derives from an overnight visit from the famous Mauryan Emperor en route to capture Ujjain is...
Hin: असीरगढ़ asīragaṛh ‘Asa Ahir’s Fort’ Fort, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From Aswatthama (Giri); or Asa Ahir; and Hin: gaṛh, ‘fort’, ‘citadel’ There is a legend that Ashwatthama, the son of the guru Drona in the Mahābhārata, used to come to the Shiva...
Mal: ആറ്റിങ്ങൽ ā(tt)ṟṟiṅ(g)al ‘Attingal Queens’ Town, Kerala Marumakkathayam is a royal and high caste system of matrilineal descent where title and inheritance follows the female bloodline, although the eldest son is still head of the family. Princess...
Hin: औरंगाबाद auraṅgābād ‘Aurangzeb’s City’ City/District, Bihar From Aurangzeb and Urd: ābād, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. Aurangabad is sometimes called the “Chittorgarh of Bihar” because of its large Suryavanshi Rajput population. In ancient times,...
Mar: औरंगाबाद auraṅgābāda ‘Aurangzeb’s City’ [Paithan, Daulutabad, Fatehnagar] -City/District Maharashtra From Aurangzeb and Urd: ābād, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. In 1610 Malik Ambar founded Khadki, a new city which was intended to be the capital of the Ahmadnagar...
Mal: അയ്മനം aymanaṁ ‘Five Forests’ Village, Kerala From Mal: ai(y)m ‘five’ (in word compounds)’; and vanam ‘forest’, ‘jungle’ Aymanam is like a small village with classic backwater scenery: coconut trees, paddy...
Kan: ಬಾದಾಮಿ bādāmi ‘Vatapi’ [Vatapi,Vatapipura] Town, Karnataka (Kar) From Skt/Hin: vadāma(m)/bādāmi ‘almond (tree’)/’almond-coloured’; or Vatapi, the asura or demon. Badami was the regional capital of the Chalukya kingdom in the 6-8thC and...
Kan: ಬಾಗಲಕೋಟ bāgalakōṭa ‘Fort Gateway’ [Bagadige] City/District, Karnataka (Kar) Kan: bāgil/bāgal/bākal, ‘doorway’, ‘entrance’, ‘gate’; and kōṭe, ‘fort’, ‘rampart’. Stories tell of this town being offered as a present by Ravana, (demon) king of Lanka, to his...
Hin: बाघ गुफा bāgh gupha ‘Tiger Caves’ Town/Caves, Madhya Pradesh (MP) Madhya Pradesh has traditionally been a tiger region and the caves, town and local stream all bear the name. The Bagh Caves are nine monuments cut into sandstone rock located 60km west...
Ben: বাঘমারা bāghamārā ‘Tiger Killed’ [Barokar] Town/HQ (South Garo Hills District), Meghalaya In 1886 Bong Lasker was heroically involved in a fight with a wild tiger that had been terrorising the village and its cattle in which the tiger [Ben: bāgh, ‘tiger’]...
Ben: বহরমপুর baharamapura ‘Brahmin City’ [Berhampore, Berhampur, Brahmapur, Burhanpore] City, West Bengal From Brahmin; and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. Baharampur/Berhampore is the capital of Murshidabad district. Following the 1757 Battle of Plassey, it was...
Hin: बालाघाट bālāghāṭ ‘Above the Ghat’ [Burha] Town/District Madhya Pradesh (MP) From Hin: bālā, ‘high’, ‘above’; and ghāṭ, ‘path or stairway to the river’; ‘ford or landing-place’. The Wainganga river...
Kan: ಬಳ್ಳಾರಿ baḷḷāri ‘Bush Town’ [Bellary, Vallari,Vallaripuram] City/District, Karnataka (Kar) From Tam/Kan: vallai/balle ‘thicket’, ‘bush’, ‘forest’; or Skt/Tam/Kan: vaḷḷi/baḷḷi/vallari, ‘creeper’, ‘vine’; and Skt: puri, ‘fort’, ‘city’ or Kan: ūr, ‘village’,...
Ben: বালুরঘাট bāluraghāṭa ‘Sandy Ghat’ City, West Bengal From Ben: bālu, bālukā, sandy, full of sand; and ghāṭa, ‘landing-stage (on riverbank)’, ‘quay’. Balurgahat is the Dakshin Dinajpur District HQ. The River Atrai or Atreyee flows through Balurghat, with most...
Guj: બનાસકાંઠા banāsakāṇṭhā ‘Bank of the River Banas’ – District, Gujarat From West Banas river [Guj: ban, forest’, ‘wood’]; and Guj: kantha, ‘bank’, ‘shore’. The 266km West Banas river flows from the southern Aravalli Range in Rajasthan, through Gujarat...
Hin: बांधवगढ़ bāndhavagaṛh ‘Brother Fort’ Fort, National Park Madhya Pradesh (MP) From: Hin: bāndhava, ‘brother’, ‘kinsman’; and gaṛh, ‘fort’ Sitting on a hill 800m above the National Park is Bandhavagarh Fort. Its...
Ben: বনগাঁ banagām̐ ‘Forest Village’ [Bongaon] City, West Bengal From Ben/Skt: bana/vana, ‘forest’; and Ben: grāma→ gaon, ‘village’, ‘(small) town’. The Bangladesh-India border checkpoint at Petrapole is 6km away. It is the largest inland customs station in Asia,...
Ben: বাঁকুড়া bām̐kuṛā ‘Bir Bankura’s (City)’ City/District, West Bengal Raja Bir Hambir was a 16-17thC ruler (Malla dynasty). He offered assistance to the Mughal emperor Akbar and recognised the hegemony of the Muslim viceroys of Bengal. He divided his kingdom...
Hin: बांसवाड़ा bānsavāṛā ‘Bamboo Country’ – City/District, Rajasthan From Bansia, a Bhil tribal chief or Hin: bã̄s/bans, ‘bamboo’ forests; and vāṛā, ‘abode/place with’, ‘settlement’. Banswara is something of a green oasis with an abundance of thick bamboo...
Hin: बाराँ bāran ‘Twelve Towns’ [Varah Nagari] City/District Rajasthan From Hin: bārah, ‘twelve’; and Hin: nagar, ‘city’, ‘town’. In the 14-15thC the Chalukya (a.k.a. Solanki Rajputs) ruled the ‘twelve’ towns that constituted Baran state [Hin: bārah]. Varaha, the...
Kon: बार्देस bārḍēs ‘Twelve Regions’ – Taluk/Sub-district, Goa From Hin/Mar: bārā, ‘twelve’; and Hin/Skt: desh/deśa, ‘country’, ‘region’. The name refers to the immigration of Saraswat Brahmins (cf. the thirty settlements of Tiswadi. The twelve regions,...
Ben: বর্ধমান bardhamāna ‘(City of) Vardhaman’ [Burdwan, Vardhaman] City/District, West Bengal Burdwan is the British corruption of Bardhaman [Skt: Vardhamana]. The origin possibly dates back to Mahavira or Vardhaman, the 6thC BC Jain Tirthankar who was a contemporary...
Hin: बाड़मेर bāramēr ‘Bahada’s Hill Fort’ [Malani, Bahadamer Kot] -City/District, Rajasthan From Bahada; Hin: mer(u), ‘mountain’, ‘ridge’; and Skt/Hin: koṭa, ‘fortress’. Barmer is derived from Bahada Rao Parmar who built Bahadamer Kot in Juna (some 25km away) in the...
Ben: ব্যারাকপুর byārākapura From Eng: barrack and Skt: pur(a), ‘town’, ‘city’, ‘fort’ ‘Barrack Town’ [Charnak, Chanak, Achanok] City, West Bengal The British East India Company built their first Bengal cantonment here...
Hin: बडवानी baḍavānī ‘Banyan Forest’ [Badnagar] Town/District Madhya Pradesh (MP) From Hin: baṛa, ‘banyan tree’; and vana ‘wood’, ‘forest’, ‘jungle’ Barwani is an ancient town and former princely state. Nearby lies Chulgiri Hill, a sacred Jain pilgrimage site. On...
Hin: बीड bīḍa ‘Well’ [Bir, Bhir] City/District Maharashtra From Ara/Per: biir/be’r ‘well’, ‘pit’; Per: bhir ‘water’. Muhammad bin Tugluq built a fort here in the 14thC and, according to the 18thC Tārīkh-e-Bīr (‘History of Beed’), found abundant sources of...
Kan: ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ beḷagāvi ‘Bamboo Village’ City/District, Karnataka (Kar) Belgaum, Venugrama. From Skt/Kan: veṇu, ‘bamboo’; and grāma/gāv(i/e/a), ‘village’. The city’s original name was Venugrama (Belgaum and Belagavi are variations on this). It was founded in the...
Kan: ಬೇಲೂರು bēlūru ‘Radiant Town’ [Velur, Velapuri, Beluhur] Town, Karnataka (Kar) From Kan: beḷ/veḷ, ‘bright’, shining’; and ūr/ūru, ‘town’, ‘village’. Belur is famous for its 12thC Chennakesava temple [from Kan: canna/cenna, ‘handsome’, ‘elegant’; and Skt: keśava,...
Kon: बेनौलिम benaulim ‘Forest Village’ Village/Beach, Goa From Kan: vana(m)/bana, ‘forest’, ‘garden’; and Kan: halli/valli →auli, ‘village’, ‘hamlet’. An alternative derivation is Kan: bāṇa, ‘arrow’ and has a myth to match. Parashurama (Vishnu’s sixth incarnation,...
Kan: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು beṅgaḷūru ‘Venga Tree Town’ City/Capital/District, Karnataka (Kar) Kan: bēṅga, ‘Malabar/Indian kino tree’ [Pterocarpus marsupium, Tam: vēṅkai]; and ūr/ūru, ‘town’, ‘village’. For as long as I can remember I have been told that Bangalore means ‘City of...
Hin: बैतूल baitūla ‘No Cotton (Land)’ [Badnur] City/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From Hin: bē, ‘without’, ‘devoid of’; and tūlam, ‘cotton’; and bāzāra, ‘market-place’ The assumption here is that Betul and Betul Bazaar were beyond the main cotton-growing areas of...
Mal: ബേപ്പൂർ bēppūr ‘Estuary Town’ [Vaypura, Vadaparappanad, Sultan Pattanam] Town, Kerala From Mal: vāy, ‘mouth’, ‘inlet’, ‘opening’; and Skt: pur, ‘town’, ‘city’. Beypore, at the mouth of the 169km Chaliya river, is one of the oldest ports in Kerala. It has...
Kan: ಭದ್ರಾವತಿ bhadrāvati ‘Bhadra Village’ City, Karnataka (Kar) From Bhadra river and Kan: vāḍī/vāṭī, ‘settlement’, ‘village’. The 171km Bhadra river [Skt: bhadra, ‘blessed’, ‘auspicious’] flows through southern Karnataka starting out from the Western Ghats (in...
‘City of King Bhaluka’ Town, Arunachal Pradesh Bhaluka, according to local folklore, was the grandson of Bana, a legendary king whose capital was at neighbouring Tezpur (Assam). Archaeological ruins of King Bhaluka’s kingdom are supposedly preserved here and there...
Mar: भंडारा bhaṇḍāra ‘Treasury’ [Bhanara] City/District Maharashtra From Mar/Skt: bhāṇḍāra(m)/bhāṇḍāgāra ‘treasury’, ‘store-house’. Bhandara is nicknamed the ‘Brass City’ on account of its traditional brassworking trade. Some have suggested that the onamatopoeic...
Hin: भरतपुर bharatapūra ‘Bharat’s City’ [Bhurtpore] City/District, Rajasthan From Bharata and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. The city, founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733, is named after Bharat, the half-brother of Rama who served as the king of Ayodhya during the...
Guj: ભરૂચ bharūc(h) ‘Bhrigu’s Riverbank’ [Broach] -City/District, Gujarat From Bhrigu and Skt/Guj: kachchha/kaccha, ‘bank’, ‘border’. This derivation implies that the modern name is a corruption of Bhrigukaccha. Bhrigu is one of the Seven Sages of Vedic India....
Guj: ભાવનગર bhāvanagara ‘Bhavsinhji’s City’ – City/District, Gujarat From Bhavsinhji and Skt: nagar, ‘city’. This city was founded in 1724 by Bhavsinhji Gohil (1703–1764). It was the capital of Bhavnagar, a princely state before it joined the Indian Union in...
Hin: भीलवाड़ा bhilavāṛā ‘Bhil Country’ City/District, Rajasthan From Bhil tribe and Hin: vāṛā, ‘abode’, ‘settlement’, ‘colony’. Bhil are tribal people found in western and central India. According to legend Bhils from this region were allies of Maharan Pratap...
Hin: भिण्ड bhiṇḍ ‘Bhindi (Rishi)’ Town/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From Hin: bhiṇḍa ’embanked ground (round a tank)’. The town is built around the banks of the ancient Gori Sarowar (Gori/Gauri Lake). The district is named, others say, after...
Hin: भोजपुर bhōjapur ‘Bhoja’s Town’ Town/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From (Raja) Bhoj; and Skt: pur, ‘(fortified) town’, ‘city’. King/Raja Bhoja of the Paramara Malwa dynasty built a temple and fort here in the 11thC and two large stone dams to block...
Hin: भोपाल bhopāl ‘Bhoj’s Dam’ [Bhojapala] – Capital/City/District, Madhya Pradesh From (King) Bhoj and Hin: pāla ’embankment (to confine water for irrigation)’, ‘dam’, ‘dike’ Bhojpal or Bhoj’s dam...
Kan: ಬೀದರ್ bīdar ‘Halting Place’ City/District, Karnataka (Kar) From Kan: bīḍāra, ‘halting or dwelling place’, ‘camp’. Bidri metal working started here in 14-15thC. It uses a blackened alloy of copper, lead, tin, and zinc as a base for gold and silver inlay. It is...
Kon: बिचोलिम bicholim ‘Bright Village’ [Dicholi] Town, Goa From Skt: dīpa(ka), ‘bright’, ‘beautiful’, ‘shining’; and Kan: halli/valli →oli, ‘village’; Skt: viṣaya, ‘kingdom’, ‘province’. This place-name has three linguistic...
Kan: ವಿಜಯಪುರ vijayapura ‘Victory City’ City/District, Karnataka (Kar) From Skt: vijaya, ‘victory’, ‘triumph’; and pur(a), ‘(fortified) city’ After the fall of the Bahmani Sultanate in the late 15thC the Adil Shai...
Hin: बीकानेर bikānēr ‘Bika’s Grove’ [Bikanagar] City/District, Rajasthan From Bika and Skt: nagar(a)→ner, ‘town, ‘settlement’. Rao Bika, one of Rao Jodha’s sons, the founder of Jodhpur, built Bikaner in the 15thC in an arid wilderness called Jangladesh...
Ben: বীরভূম bīrabhūma ‘Land of the Brave’ District, West Bengal From Ben: bīra: ‘brave’, ‘heroic’; and Ben: bhūmi: ‘land’, ‘place’. ‘Forest Land’ could work too [if we accept the mixed San: bir, ‘forest; and Ben: bhūmi: ‘land’, ‘place’]. Birbhum is nicknamed the...
Ben: বিষ্ণুপুর biṣṇupura ‘City of Vishnu’ City/District, West Bengal From Vishnu and Skt: pur, ‘city’ The Vaishnavite Malla rulers built a series of elaborate terracotta temples here between the 17th and 19th centuries and spread out over a complex...
Hin: बुरहानपुर burahānapur ‘Burhan’s Town’ City/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From Burhan-ud-Din; and Skt: pur, ‘(fortified) town’. Burhanpur is on the banks of the Tapti river. Nasir Khan Faruqi, Sultan of Khandesh, founded Burhanpur...
Kon: कळंगुट kaḷaṅguṭ ‘Kali Temple’ Town, Goa From Kali and Kan: guḍi, ‘house, temple’ [Tam: kuṭi]. There used to be a Kali temple here (many temples sought refuge inland under the Portuguese), built by fishermen seeking the goddess’s protection from the elements....
Kon: काणकोण kāṇkŏṇ ‘Forest Corner’ [Kadkona] City/Taluk, Goa From Kan: kāḍu, ‘forest’, ‘jungle’; and Kan: kōṇ(a), ‘angle’, ‘corner’. Assuming Kadkona is the original name, this derivation is the simplest (with various name twins in South...
Kon: कांदोळी kāndōḷī ‘Dyke Village’ Town, Goa From Mar: kāṇḍōḷī, ‘embankment’, ‘dyke’; and Kan: halli/valli →oli, ‘village’, ‘hamlet’. The dykes are a system of raised ridges of earth used to reclaim marshland and capture water for irrigation. Candolim was the...
Ben: চাকদহ cākadaha ‘Meandering River’ Town, West Bengal From Ben/Skt: cāka/cakra, ‘wheel’; and Ben: daha, ‘deep or whirling part of a river’. Chakdaha (Chakradaha) is situated on a ever-changing series of twists and turns of the Hooghly river which has created and...
Mal: ചാലക്കുടി c(h)ālakkuṭi ‘Prosperous Settlement’ Town, Kerala From Tam/Mal: c(h)āla/c(h)āl ‘abundant’, ‘noble’; and kuṭi ‘settlement’, ‘colony’. Chalakudy was the site of the Nedumkotta defence fortification to resist the military advances of Hyder Ali Khan...
Guj: ચાંપાનેર c(h)āmpānēra ‘Champa’s City’ – [Muhammadabad] – Ancient City and Archaeological Site, Gujarat From Champa and Skt: ayana→ana, ‘place’, ‘abode’ or nagara, ‘town’, ‘settlement. Champaner was founded by King Vanraj of the...
Ben: চন্দননগর c(h)andananagara ‘Sandalwood City’ City, West Bengal From Ben: c(h)andana, ‘sandalwood’; Ben/Skt: nagara, ‘city’. The French acquired land here in 1673 and Chandannagar was founded soon after. Its heyday came following the...
Mar: चंद्रपूर c(h)andrapūra ‘Moon City’ City/District Maharashtra From Skt: c(h)and(r)a, ‘shining’, ‘pleasant’, ‘moon’; and Skt: pur, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. The Chanda dynasty started with Bhim Balal Sha in the 9thC and ended in the 18thC with Nilkant Sha. This Gond...
Mal: ചങ്ങനാശ്ശേരി c(h)aṅ(g)anāśśēri ‘Sengan’s Town’ Town, Kerala From Senguttavan Cheran and Mal/Tam: c(h)ēri ‘town, village, settlement’. Changanassery’s history dates back to the early period of the Chera dynasty (c. 1st-3rdC) in the Sangam period when Kuttunad...
Mal: ചാവക്കാട് c(h)āvakkāṭ ‘Dead Forest’ [Chowghat] Town, Kerala From Tam/Mal: c(h)āva, ‘dead’, ‘blighted’; kāṭu, ‘forest’, ‘jungle’. Some suggest a forest ‘curse’ but, being on a coastal land, it is more likely to be a barren or infertile stretch of land. St...
(Confluence of the) Chandra and Bhaga Rivers’ [Asikni, Chandrabhaga] Himachal Pradesh (Him), Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) The Chenab River flows through Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and into Punjab, Pakistan. Asiniki, its original name, probably...
Tam: சென்னை c(h)eṉṉai ‘Chennappa’s Village’ [Madras] City/ Capital/ District, Tamil Nadu From Tel: Chennappa Nayaka; and Tam: paṭṭiṉam, ‘coastal town’, ‘fishing village/hamlet’ The English East India Company acquired land (actually, a small...
Ben: চেরাপুঞ্জি c(h)ērāpuñji ‘Sohra Cluster’/’Scanty Fruit’ Town/Sub-division, Meghalaya From Sohra and Ben: puñja, ‘group’, cluster’; and Kha: sohra, ‘bearing small or scanty fruits’. Sohra is Cherrapunji’s local name and its official name. Cherrapunji is a...
Mal: ചേര്ത്തല c(h)ērttala ‘Joined Land’ Town, Kerala From Tam/Mal: c(h)ēr/c(h)ērtt, ‘join’, ‘attach’, ‘add’; Mal: aḷam, coastal area. It is possible that the name refers to ancient land reclamation: extensive parts of the backwaters have been reclaimed from...
Hin: छतरपुर chhatarapur ‘Chhatrasal’s Town’ City/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From (Maharaja) Chhatrasal; and Skt: pur, ‘(fortified) town’, ‘city’. The town takes its name from Maharaja Chhatrasal of Panna (1671-1731).he...
Hin: छिंदवाड़ा chhindavāṛā ‘Date Place’ City/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) Hin: chhind, ‘Date palm tree’ [Phoenix sylvestris]; and vāṛā, ‘abode/place with’, ‘settlement’. This tree is known by many names: wild date palm, toddy date palm,...
Tam: சிதம்பரம் c(h)itamparam ‘Dwelling of Consciousness’ [Thillai] Temple town, Tamil Nadu From Skt: c(h)it, ‘consciousness’, ‘soul’; and Skt: ambaram, ‘dwelling’, garment’, ‘atmosphere’. Chidambaram has at its centre the remarkable 9thC Sri Nataraj temple, mythical...
चिखलदरा cikhaladarā ‘Mud Canyon’ Hill Station, Maharashtra (Mah) Mar: cikhala, ‘mud’; and darā ‘gorge’, ‘canyon’ This 1,200m hill station is famous for its tigers and coffee plantations. The 407m Chikhaldara Skywalk...
Kan: ಚಿಕ್ಕಮಗಳೂರು cikkamagaḷūru ‘Youngest Daughter’s Town’ City/District/Hill Station, Karnataka (Kar) From Kan: cikka, ‘smallest/youngest’; magaḷa, ‘daughter’; and ūr/ūru, ‘town’, ‘village’. This town, or village as it probably was then, was given as a dowry by...
Mar: चिपळूण c(h)ipaḷūṇa ‘Pure Mind’ -City/District Maharashtra From Chitpavan [Skt: pāvana, ‘pure’, ‘holy’; Skt: c(h)itta, ‘mind’, ‘thought’]. This area was the original home of the Chitpavan Brahmins which suggests that Chiplun is a corruption of their name....
Kan: ಚಿತ್ರದುರ್ಗ citradurga ‘Bright Fort’ [Chitaldoorg] City/District, Karnataka (Kar) From Skt: citra, ‘bright’, ‘wonderful’, ‘picturesque’; and Kan: durga ‘fort’, ‘stronghold’. Chitradurga is a seven-layered fort which sits astride a row of rugged hills peppered...
Hin: चित्तौड़गढ़ c(h)ittōṛagaṛh ‘Chitranga’s Fort’ [Chitrakuta] – City/District, Rajasthan From Chitrangada and Hin/Skt: gaṛh, kuṭa/koṭa, ‘fort’. Chitrangada, a Mauryan ruler, founded Chittorgarh in the 3rdC, although mythology connects the fort to the...
Hin: चूरू c(h)urū ‘Churuman’s City’ – City/District, Rajasthan King Churaman, a Rajput, founded Chura in the Jangladesh region [Skt: jangala, ‘desert’; Skt: deśa, ‘country’] in 1620. Thereafter ii was ruled by Rathore Rajputs and then became part of Bikaner...
Tam: கோயம்புத்தூர் kōyamputtūr ‘Kovan’s New City’ [Kovai] City/District, Tamil Nadu From Kovan; Tam: putu, ‘new’; and ūr, ‘village’, ‘town’. In this derivation Kovan puthur (named after the 9thC Irula tribal chieftain Kovan or Koyan) became Koyambatoor and was then...
Ben: কোচবিহার kōcabihāra ‘Land of the Koch’ [Cooch-Bihar, Coss-Beyhar, Kuch Behar, Kutch-Behar, Cooch-Behaar, Cooch-Behar, Kooch-Behar, Koch-Bihar, Koch Vihar, Koosh-Beyhar] City/District, West Bengal From Ben: kōca, ‘(a member of) aboriginal tribe’; and Skt/Pali:...
Tam: குன்னூர kuṉṉūr ‘Mountain Slope’ Town/Taluk, Tamil Nadu From Bad/Tam: kunnu/kuṉṟu, ‘mountain’/ ‘escarpment’; Bad/Kan: ōra, ōre, ‘slope’. Coonoor is situated on the edge of a plateau, so the name fits. The town is surrounded by tea and coffee plantations and...
‘Land of the Cholas’ Coastline, Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradesh From Chola (dynasty) and Tam: maṇṭalam, ‘district’, ‘region’, ‘country’ Coromandel refers to the eastern coast of (northern) Tamil Nadu from Kodiakkarai, a.k.a. Point Calimere, to the mouth of the Krishna...
Tam: கடலூர் kaṭalūr ‘Junction Town’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: kūṭal, ‘junction’, ‘confluence’; and ūr, ‘village’, ‘town’. This is the place where the Indian Ocean and the Pennaiyar, Kedilam, Paravanar and Uppanaar rivers meet. This is the most likely...
Kon: कुंकळी kuṅkaḷī ‘Saffron Village’ [Punyabhumi] City, Goa From Skt: kuṅkuma, ‘saffron’; and Kan: halli/valli →oli, ‘village’. Punyabhumi, an older name, suggests a ‘sacred land’ [from Skt: punya, ‘holy’, ‘sacred’; and Skt: bhūmi, ‘place’, ‘land’]. The 1583...
Kon: कुडचडे kuḍac(h)aḍē ‘Farmer’s Forest’ [Kudchade] -Town From Kan: kūti/kūtu, ‘hut’, ‘house’, ‘temple’; Kan: kāḍu, ‘forest’, ‘jungle’. This town is now geared up for mining rather than farming or forestry. For related place...
Guj: દાહોદ dāhōda ‘Two Borders’ -City/District, Gujarat From Hin: do, ‘two’; and Hin/Guj: hada, ‘border’. Dahod has borders with both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. There is also a suggestion that the name is linked to Saint Dadhichi who sacrificed himself so that...
‘(Earl of) Dalhousie’ – Hill Station, Himachal Pradesh Dalhousie Town was named after The Earl of Dalhousie. The title refers to a hereditary peerage associated with the Ramsay clan and a castle in Midlothian, Scotland James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, 1st...
Guj: ડાંગ ḍāṅga ‘Bamboo Forest’ District, Gujarat From Skt: dhān(us), ‘bamboo’, ‘bow (and arrow)’ Dang(s) is the smallest District in Gujarat with 657 square miles of forest including teak and bamboo. The population is 93.8% tribal and the five Bhil Kings of Dangs...
Tam: தாராசுரம் darasuram ‘Lord of Raja Raja’ Town, Temple, Tamil Nadu From Raja Raja and Skt: īśvara, ‘lord’ ...
Nep: दार्जीलिङ dārjīliṅa ‘Thunderbolt Land’ Hill Station/Town, West Bengal From Lep: dor-je, ‘thunderbolt; and lyan(g), ‘abode’. The do-rje [Skt: vajra, ‘thunderbolt] is a bronze ritual object with lotus-tipped spokes symbolising rapid enlightenment in a single...
Mar: दौलताबाद daulatābāda ‘Fortune City’ [Devagiri, Deogiri] -Village/Ancient City/Fort Maharashtra From Urd: daulat, ‘fortune’, ‘happiness’; and Urd: ābād, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. Founded as Devagiri/Deogiri in the 12thC [‘Hill of the Gods’, from Mar: deva/deo,...
Hin: देहरादून deharāḍūn ‘Valley Camp’ [Dehra Doon] -City/Capital/District, Uttarakhand From Hin: ḍērā, ‘encampment’, ‘temporary settlement’; and dūn(a), ‘valley’ The Doon Valley lies in a valley 4-700m up in the Himalayan foothills. The city itself is surrounded by...
Mar: देवळाली dēvaḷālī ‘God’s Village’ [Devalali, Deollaly] -Town/Hill Station Maharashtra From Mar: deva/deo, ‘god, ‘deity’; and Mar: valli, ‘village’ The slang word ‘doolally’ describes someone who is ‘mad’ or ‘crazy’. It is a 19th century word derived from...
Asm: দেৰগাঁও dēragāon ‘God’s Village’ [Devagram] Town, Assam From Asm: deor, ‘god’; and Asm: gāon, ‘village’ Its old name Devagram [From Skt: deva, ‘god’; and grama, ‘village’] is simply a translation. The god in question is Shiva who has a temple here. It was...
Kan: ದಾವಣಗೆರೆ dāvaṇagere ‘Wormwood Tank’ City/District, Karnataka (Kar) From Kan: davana, ‘Indian Wormwood’ [Artemisia indica]; and keṟe, ‘tank’. Davanagere is Karnataka’s seventh largest city and the glasshouse in its Botanical Gardens is the second largest in Asia....
Tam: தர்மபுரி darmapuri ‘City of Dharma’ [Tagadur] City/District, Tamil Nadu From Skt: dharma, ‘religion’, ‘virtue’, ‘duty’; and pura, ‘town’, ‘(fortified) city’. In the earliest times the name was Tagadur [Tam: takaṭu/takaram, ‘metal plate’, ‘tin’; and ūr,...
Hin: धौलपुर dhaulapur ‘Dhaulya City’ – City/District, Rajasthan Dhawalpuri. From Dhaulya and Skt: puri, ‘town’, ‘city’. The Dhaulyas (also Dhauliya, Dholya, Dhavala, Dholia) are a clan of Jats (a non-elite pastoral community in north and west India) who ruled...
Guj: ધ્રાંગધ્રા dhrāṅgadhrā ‘City Land’ -Town, Gujarat From Skt: draṅga, ‘city’, ‘town’ ; and Skt: dhara, ‘earth’, ‘land’. A city with ancient origins (it was originally a border town between Harappan settlements to the north and Kutch further west), it became a...
Mar: धुळे dhuḷē ‘Dust’ -City/District Maharashtra From Mar: dhuḷē/dhūḷa, ‘dust’ Skt: dhūli In a region famous for its summer dust-storms it is tempting to reach for the obvious answer; particularly as there are no clear historical or topographical alternatives....
Asm: ডিব্ৰুগড় ḍibrugaṛa ‘Fort on the River Dibru’ [Dibrumukh] City/District, Assam From Bod: dibru, ‘River Dibru’ [Bod: di, ‘water’, ‘river’; and dib(a)ru, ‘blister’] and Asm/Hin: mukh, ‘mouth’; garh, ‘fort’, ‘rampart’. The mukh in...
‘Mouth of the River Dikhow’ Village, Assam From River Dikhow [Bod: di, ‘water’, ‘river’; khau/khow, ‘deep’, ‘steep’; and Asm/Hin: mukh, ‘mouth’]. The Dikhow river flows northwards from Nagaland and joins the Brahmaputra at Dikhowmukh. Dikhowmukh was an important Ahom...
Ben: দক্ষিণ/উত্ত দিনাজপুর dakṣiṇa/uttara dinājapura ‘Dinaj’s City’ Districts, West Bengal From Dinaj; Ben: dakṣiṇa, ‘south’; and uttarāśā, ‘north’. Dinajpur District, at Independence, was split up into West Dinajpur district and East Dinajpur. East Dinajpur,...
Tam: திண்டுக்கல் tiṇṭukkal ‘Pillow Rock’ [Tintukkal] City/District, Tamil Nadu From: Tam: tiṇṭu ‘pillow’, ‘semicircular cushion’; and kal, ‘rock’. Dindigul Fort (270m high and 2.75km round) was built on a wedge-shaped rock in 1605. It was under Nayak rule for more...
Ben: দমদম damadama ‘Bang Bang’, ‘Battery’ City, West Bengal From Ben: dum, ‘banging, booming or thudding noise’; Per: damdama, ‘disturbance’, ‘clamour’, ’drum’, ‘mound’, ’raised battery’. There are two fascinating possibilities for this place name with...
Hin: डूंगरपुर duṅgārapur ‘Dungar’s City’ – City/District, Rajasthan From Dungar(ia) and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. The chiefs of Dungarpur are descended from Mahup of Mewar state (centred around Udaipur) in the 12thC. After being disinherited by his father,...
Ben: দুর্গাপুর durgāpura ‘Durgacharan’s City’ City, West Bengal From Durgacharan and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. Durgapur is a planned city, and West Bengal’s fourth largest. It was designed by two American architects in 1955 under the instructions of Dr. Bidhan...
Guj: દ્વારકા dvārakā ‘Gated City’ [Dwaravati, Mokshapuri, Dwarkamati] -City/District, Gujarat From Skt: dvāram, ‘door’, ‘gateway’; and ; and Skt: vāṭī, ‘site’, ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’. Dvāravatī suggests a city with many gates, or perhaps having one or several very...
Mal: എറണാകുളം eṟaṇākuḷaṁ ‘Shiva’s Tank’ City/District, Kerala From Iraiyanar, the Lord (Shiva); and Tam/Mal: kuḷam, ‘tank’, ‘reservoir’ Shiva is the patron deity of Ernakulam and the 4,000 sq km Ernakulathappan Shiva...
Tam: ஈரோடு īrōṭu ‘Two Streams’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: ir(u)/īr, ‘two’; and Tam: ōṭai, ‘stream’, ’water-course’, ‘dyke’, ’moat’. The 90km Kaingarayan canal connects the Bhavani and Noyyal rivers, tributaries of the Kaveri river. It was originally built...
Mal: ഏഴിക്കര ēḻikkara ‘Riverside’ Village, Kerala From Mal: aḻi, ‘river (mouth)’, ‘harbour’; and kara, ‘shore’, ‘bank’. Ezhikkara is a small village surounded by coconut trees, rivers and lagoons with an...
Kan: ಗದಗ-ಬೆಟಿಗೇರಿ gadaga-beṭigēri ‘Rocky Road-Hill Tank’ [Kaldugu] -City/District, Karnataka From Kan: kal, ‘stone’, ‘boulder, ‘pebble’; Skt: durga, (difficult, uneven) road; ‘(inaccessible) place’; Kan: beṭṭa, ‘hill’; and kere/gere, ‘tank’, ‘reservoir’. The Kalyani...
Kan: ಗಜೇಂದ್ರಗಡ gajēndragaḍa ‘Elephant Fort’ [Gajendragarh] -Fort/Town, Karnataka (Kar) .From Sin: gajendra, ‘elephant’; Hin: gaṛh, ‘fort’ The fort was built by Shivaji, the Maratha chieftain, in the 17thC. Its film appearances (it has plenty of flat surfaces for...
Guj: ગાંધીનગર gāndhīnagara ‘Gandhi City’ -City/Capital/District, Gujarat From Mahatma Gandhi and Hin/Skt: nagar, ‘city’. Gandhinagar (founded in 1966) is a planned city, designed to replace Ahmedabad as the capital of Gujarat. It is named to honour Mahatma Gandhi,...
Tam: கங்கைகொண்ட சோழபுரம் kaṅkaikoṇṭa cōḻapuram ‘The Chola who took the Ganges’ Village/Temple Site/former Capital, Tamil Nadu (TN) From Chola (dynasty); Ganga/Ganges (river); Tam: koṇṭa, ‘take’, ‘obtain’; and Skt: puram, ‘town’,...
Kan: ಗಂಗಾವತಿ gaṅgāvati ‘(Holy) River Village’ -City, Karnataka From Ganga or Ganges, ‘goddess’ or ‘holy river’; and Dra: vāti, ‘village’, ‘settlement’. The Ganges is 1,500km away, as the crow flies. The Tungabhadra is a bit closer. The city is nicknamed...
Nep: गान्तोक gāntōka ‘Snow Temple’ -City/District/Capital, Sikkim From Tib: gangs, ‘snow’; Sik: tok, ‘temple’. Sikkim was annexed by India in 1976. Gangtok (at an altitude of 1,650 m) is a Buddhist pilgrimage site and a centre for organised treks through the...
Asm: গড়গাঁও gaṛhgāon ‘Fort Village’ Town, Assam From Asm: gaṛh, fort’, ‘ramparts’; and gāon, ‘village’ [Skt: grama]. The town was built in 1540 and was the Ahom capital from the 16-18thC. In 1747 a 5km fortified wall was built around the city with gates and...
Tam: கோபிச்செட்டிப்பாளையம் gōpicceṭṭippāḷaiyam ‘Gobi Chetti’s Camp’ Town/Taluk, Tamil Nadu From Gobi Chetty and Tam: pāḷaiyam , ‘camp’, ‘territory’. Gobi Chetti was a Polygar under the Vijayanagars. The Polygars were 16th–18thC governors and chieftains who...
Guj: ગોધરા gōdharā ‘Cow Land’ -Town, Gujarat From Skt: go, ‘cow’; and Skt: dhara, ‘earth’, ‘land’. Presumably this was grazing land. Godhra dates back to at least the 10thC when there was a school here for Jain monks. Godhra, unfortunately, is more (in)famous for...
Tam: கூடலூர் gūṭalūr ‘Valley Town’ Town/Taluk, Tamil Nadu From Bad: goḍalu, ‘dale between two hills’, ‘basin’, ‘valley’; and Bad/Tam: ūru village, town. The location matches the derivation perfectly. Gudalur is a tea plantation region sitting at the foot...
Tam: குடியாத்தம் guṭiyāttam ‘Village Way’ Town, Tamil Nadu From Tam: kudi, ‘village’, ‘settlement (of family, tribe or people related to one another)’; and Tam: attam, ‘way’, ‘road’, ‘(rough) path’. Gudiyattam/Gudiyatham is nicknamed ‘Little Sivakasi’...
Asm: গুৱাহাটী guwāhāṭi ‘Betel-nut Market’ [Pragjyotishpura] City/ Capital, Assam From Asm: guwā, ‘areca nut’, ‘betel-nut’; and Ben: hāṭa [Skt: haṭṭa], ‘market’. Guwahati’s history stretches back to ancient times and it is mentioned in the...
Asm: হাজো hājō ‘Hill’ Town, Assam From Bod: hajo/hajw, ‘hill’. Hajo is a pilgrimage site for three religions. The celebrated Hayagriva Madhava Hindu temple is dedicated to Narasimha, the part-man, part-lion incarnation of Vishnu Some Tibetan and Chinese Buddhists...
Ben: হলদিয়া haladiẏā ‘Yellow (City)’ City, West Bengal From Hin/Ben: haldi/haladi, ‘turmeric’, ‘yellow’ Haldia is surrounded by the Haldi River on the west and the Hooghly on the other sides. The name suggests something yellow: the soil, perhaps, or the river. It...
Kan: ಹಳೇಬೀಡು haḷēbīḍu ‘Old City’ [Halebid] Town/Monument, Karnataka From Kan: haḷē, ‘old’; and bīḍu, ‘camp’, ‘settlement’. Halebid was capital of the Hoysala Empire in the 12thC. It is home to some superb Hindu and Jain temples, fine examples of ornate Hoysala...
Kan: ಹಂಪಿ hampi ‘Pampa’ Monument, Karnataka From Pampa river. In the epic Ramayana, the 531 km Tungabhadra River is called the Pampa. This name metamorphosed, in Kannada [p→h], to Hampa and was then anglicized to Hampi or Hampe. Hampi was the 14thC capital of the...
Mal: ഹരിപ്പാട് harippāṭ ‘Green Ricefields’ Town, Kerala. From Mal: hari ‘green’; and pāṭam/pāḍam/pāṭu ‘(range of) ricefields’, ‘rice-land’. Haripad is nicknamed ‘Town of Temples’. The two most famous ones are the Subrahmanya Swamy temple and Mannarasala Temple...
Asm: হাত্তিগড় hāttigaṛa ‘Elephant Fort’ [Gajpur] Village, Assam From Asm/Hin: hāthī, ‘elephant’; and gaṛh, ‘fort’. Hatigarh literally means a fort or a rampart (garh) for confining elephants (hati). The Ahom king, Suklingphaa (1795–1811 CE), used this site (close...
Guj: હજીરા hajīrā ‘Tomb’ -City, Port, Suburb (Surat), Gujarat From Urd: hisār/hizāri, ‘enclosure’, ‘tomb’, ‘grave’ A hazira was originally a ‘simple grave on a slightly raised platform surrounded by a walled enclosure’. For saints and emperors they had ...
Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence (1806-57) was a 19th century British military officer and administrator. He founded the Lawrence Military Asylum, a hill station boarding school in Kasauli/Kussowlie (Himachal Pradesh) for the children of British soldiers to relieve them...
હિંમતનગર himmatanagara ‘Himmat Singh’s City’ [Ahmednagar] -City, Capital (Sabarkantha District), Gujarat From Himmat Singh and Hin/Skt: nagar, ‘city’. Ahmed Shah I of the Gujarat Sultanate founded a city here in 1426 and called it Ahmednagar The Rao dynasty of Idar...
Ben: হুগলি hugali ‘Elephant Grass’ City/River/District, West Bengal From Ben: hogla, ‘elephant grass’ [Lesser Indian Reed Mace, Southern Cattail Typha Elephantine/Typha domingensis]. The district of Hooghly derived its name from the town of Hooghly on the west bank...
Kan: ಹೊಸಪೇಟೆ hosapēṭe ‘New City’ [Nagalapura, Hospet] City/District, Karnataka From Kan: hosa, ‘new’; pete, ‘town’, ‘suburb’, ‘market’ [Tam: pēṭṭai]. Krishnadevaraya, a 16thC Vijayanagara emperor, built Hosapete and named it after his mother, Naagalaambika (the...
Tam: ஓசூர் ōsūr ‘New City’ City, Tamil Nadu From Kan: posa/hosa, ‘new’; and ūr, village, town Hoysalas (a 10th-14thC empire centred on Halebid and Belur in modern Karnataka) ruled Hosur after the decline of Chola Empire. It then became part of the Vijayanagara empire...
Ben: হাওড়া hāōṛā ‘Swampy Lake’ City/District, West Bengal From Ben: haōṛa, ‘lake’, ‘fen’, ‘swamp’, ‘marsh’. A haora is a freshwater wetland, floodplain, lake or swamp. Howrah City and District sit opposite Kolkata are on the western bank...
Kan: ಹುಬ್ಬಳ್ಳಿ hubbaḷḷi ‘Flowering Creeper’, ‘Gateway’ [Hubballi, Pubballi] City/District, Karnataka (Kar) From Kan: pu→hū(v)u, ‘flower’; v→baḷḷi, ‘creeper’, ‘vine’; and Skt: dvāratā, ‘gateway’, ‘stopover’. It has been suggested that Dharwad was a stopover for...
Guj: ઇડર iḍar(a) ‘Ilva Fort’ – Town, Gujarat Ilvadurg. Idar (a.k.a. Ilvadurg) is the legendary home of Ilva and Vatapi, the Rakshasa shape-shifting demons who were finally destroyed by the sage Agastya. Idar was a Rajput Princely State from the 13thC protected...
Mal: ഇടുക്കി iṭukki ‘Gorge’ District, Kerala From Mal: iṭukku/iḍukkụ, ‘narrow passage’, ‘gorge’ Idukki is a mountainous and densely forested region set in the Cardamom Hills. It spreads over an area of 4,358 km2 , making it the second largest district in Kerala. It...
(Hin) : ईटानगर iṭānagara ‘Brick City’ -City/Capital, Arunachal Pradesh From Asm: ita, ‘brick’; and Asm: nagar, ‘city’, ‘town’. It is actually the fort here, and not the city, that was built of bricks – the city inherited the name and was more famous for its...
Hin: जैसलमेर jaisalamer ‘Jaisal’s Ridge’ – City/District, Rajasthan From Jaisal and Hin: meru, ‘mountain’, ‘ridge’. Rawal Jaisal, a Bhati Rajput ruler, founded the city and state of Jaisalmer in the 12thC. He moved here from Lodurva because the city had water...
Hin: जालौर jālaur ‘Jabal’s Town’ [Jabalipura, Suvarngiri/Songir] – City, District, Rajasthan From Jalandhar/Jabal and Skt: pur →or/ore, ‘fort’, ‘town’. Jalore as a fort and a town dates back to the 8-9thC. There is a temple to the west of the town on...
‘(Place with) Olives’ City/District, West Bengal From Ben: jalapāi, ‘olive’; (Ben)/Dra: guri, ‘place’. Guri is a place-name element found in the northern region of West Bengal [Siliguri, Mallaguri, Maynaguri] which many think has a Dravidian origin – it...
Guj: જામનગર jāmanagara ‘City of the Jam Dynasty’ – City/District, Gujarat Nawanagar. From Jam (dynasty) and Skt: nagar, ‘city’. Jamnagar was founded as Nawanagar [Skt: nawa, ‘new’; and Skt: nagar, ‘city’] by Jam Rawal in 1540 as the capital of the...
Hin: जमशेदपुर jamśēdpūr ‘Jamsetji’s City’ [Tatanagar] -City, Jharkhand Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata (1839-1904) founded the city, the industrial capital of Jharkand, on the site of a village called Sakchi. Lord Chelmsford re-named the city in his...
Ben:জঙ্গিপুর jaṅgipura ‘Military City’ City, West Bengal From Ben: jaṅgi, ‘military’; and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. Jangipur is on a strategic ‘island’ between the Padma and Hooghly rivers. It has an interesting military history: (1) Jahanagir (1569–1627), the...
‘Forest Village’ City/District, West Bengal From Hin/Ben: jhā/ jhāḍ, ‘bush’, ‘thicket’, ‘dense forest’; Ben: grāma, ‘village’, ‘(small) town’. The region around here was used to be called Jangalakhand [Ben:jaṅgala ‘bush’, ‘thicket’, ‘jungle’]. Even today Jhargram is...
Hin: झुन्झुनू jhun̄jhunū ‘Jhunjhar’s Town’ City/District, Rajasthan From Jhunjhar or Jujhar Singh This is an interesting one. The reduplication implies a repetitive rattle or ‘jingle-jangle [Hin: jhun-jhunā, ‘rattling toy’, ‘rattle’; Skt:...
Hin: जोधपुर jōdhpūr ‘Jodha’s City’ City, District, Rajasthan From Jodha and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. Rao Jodha, a Rathore Rajput, founded Jodhpur in 1459. It was the capital of his Marwar kingdom [from Hin: maru, ‘desert’; and wara, ‘abode’, ‘settlement’]. The...
Sir John Laird Mair Lawrence was Viceroy of India, 1864-69. Tragically, his greatest failure was the Orissa Famine of 1866. It affected more than 47 million people along the eastern coast northwards from Madras. One million died. It is argued that by moving from...
Asm: যোৰহাট jōrhāṭ ‘Twin Markets’ City/District, Assam From Asm: jor, ‘pair’; and Ben: hāṭa, ‘market’ [Skt: haṭṭa]. The ‘pair’ of markets existed in the 18thC on opposite banks of the Bhogdoi river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, which flows past the town. Jorhat...
Guj: જુનાગઢ junāgaḍh ‘Old Fort’ -City/District, Gujarat From Guj/Skt: juna/jurna, ’old’; and Guj: gadh, ‘(hill) fort’. Uparkot Fort in the centre of the town is indeed a very old fort. It was first built in 319 BCE during the Mauryan dynasty and some even suggest a...
Mal: കടക്കരപ്പള്ളി kaṭakkarappaḷḷi ‘Seashore Church’ From Mal: kaṭal/kaḍal, ‘sea’; kara, ‘shore’; and paḷḷi, ‘hut’, ‘church’, ‘shrine’ This small coastal village is part of Alappuzha district. Its church, St...
Mal: കടുത്തുരുത്തി kaṭutturutti ‘Sea Island’ Town, Kerala From Mal: kaṭal/kaḍal, ‘sea’; and turutti, island Kaduthuruthy used to be on the coast (i.e. the complex pattern of seawater lagoons and backwaters that make up the coastline here): a 14thC...
Kan: ಕಲಬುರಗಿ kalaburagi ’Stone Garden’/’Rose Garden’ City/District, Karnataka (Kar) From Hin/Urd: gulāb, ‘flower’, ‘rose’; or Kan: kal, ‘stone’, ‘boulder’; Hin/Urd: bāg, ‘garden’, ‘park’. Gulbarga was renamed Kalaburagi in 2014, a decision which did not meet...
Mal:കളമശ്ശേരി kaḷamaśśēri ‘Rice Settlement’ Suburb/Region (Kochi), Kerala From Mal: kaḷama, ‘(a kind of) rice growing in deep water’; and Tam/Mal: c(h)ēri/ś(h)ēri, ‘town’, ‘village’, ‘settlement’. This implies a rice growing region,...
Ben: কালিম্পং kālimpaṁ ‘Assembly Hill’ Town/District, West Bengal From Lep: kalen/kaalen ‘assembly’; pung, ‘hillock’, ‘mound’. Kalimpong has been controlled by kingdoms in both Sikkim and Bhutan and used to be a trading centre and ‘gateway’ to Tibet before the...
Mal: കൽപറ്റ kalpaṟṟa ‘Rocky Place’ [Kalpaṟṟa] Town, Kerala From Mal: kal, kallu ‘stone’, ‘rock’; and Tam: paṟṟam, ‘collection’, ‘mass’. Kalpetta is circled by mountains, rocks, waterfalls and terraces of spice, coffee and tea. It is in an ideal setting...
Mar: कल्याण kalyāṇa ‘Noble (City)’ City, Maharashtra From Skt: kalyāṇa, ‘noble’, ‘blessed’, ‘auspicious’. Kalyan was a fort city. The Durgadi Fort [Hin/Mar: gadh/gaḍhī, ‘fort’ dedicated to the goddess Durga] was first constructed by the Moghuls in the 16th and...
Tam: காஞ்சிபுரம் kāñcipuram ‘Kanchi City’ City/District, Tamil Nadu. From Tam: kāñc(h)i/kanji, ‘(river) Portia tree’ [Thespesia populnea]; or Skt: kāñcana, ‘gold’; ‘money’; and Skt: puram, ‘town’, ‘fort’, ‘city’. The sacred tree had many names: kalpa vriksha (tree of...
Mal: കാഞ്ഞങ്ങാട് kāññaṅṅāṭ ‘Strychnine Forest’ Town, Kerala. From Mal: kāñjiram, ‘strychnine tree’, ‘snake wood tree’, ‘poison nut’ [Strychnos nux vomica]; and Tam/Mal: aṅkāṭi/aṅgaḍi/aṅṅāṭi, ‘bazaar/market’, ‘town/village’; or Mal: kāṭu, ‘wilderness’, ‘wood’. ...
Mal:കാഞ്ഞിരങ്ങാട് kāññiraṅṅāṭ ‘Strychnine Village’ Village, Kerala From Mal: kāñjiram, ‘strychnine tree’, ‘snake wood tree’, ‘poison nut’ [Strychnos nux vomica]; and Tam/Mal: aṅkāṭi/aṅgaḍi/aṅṅāṭi, ‘bazaar/market’, ‘town/village’; or Mal: kāṭu, ‘wilderness’, ‘wood’. ...
Mal: കണ്ണൂര് kaṇṇūr ‘Bamboo Town’ [Cannanore] City/District, Kerala From Mal: kaṇ(a)/ka(ṇ)ṇu, ‘bamboo (cane)’; and ūr, ‘village’, ‘town’, ‘city’. Kannur was an important trading centre (especially for spices) in the 12thC with important trading partnerships in...
Tam:கன்னியாகுமரி kaṉṉiyākumari ‘Virgin Goddess’ Town/District, Tamil Nadu Kanyakumari sits on the very tip of India, where the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean meet. It is the ‘Land’s End’ of India. Its name comes from the Kanya...
Tam: காரைக்குடி kāraikkuṭi ‘Karai Village’ City, Tamil Nadu Tam: kārai, ‘shrub’ [Canthium coromandelicum, Webera tetrandra]; and kudi, ‘village’, ‘settlement (of family, tribe or people related to one another)’. The Coromandel Boxwood is a very common coastal shrub:...
Mal: കരുനാഗപ്പള്ളി karunāgappaḷḷi. ‘Cobra Village’ Town, Kerala. From Mal: karu, ‘black’; nāgam/nāġam, ‘snake’, ‘cobra’; and paḷḷi, ‘village’, ‘hamlet’. Karunagappalli/Karunagappally, a riverside town, is famous for its backwaters, houseboats, its boat club and...
Tam: கரூர் karūr ‘Black Town’ [Vanji] City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: karu, ‘black’; ūr, ‘village’, ‘town’; and vañci, ‘creeper’. Karur’s predominant soil type is black, accounting for over one-third of the soil in the region and this place name....
Mal: കാസർഗോഡ് kāsargōḍ ‘Backwater Lake’ [Kanhirakode] Town/District, Kerala From Mal: kāñjiram, ‘strychnine tree’, ‘snake wood tree’, ‘poison nut’ [Strychnos nux vomica]; and kāṭu, ‘wilderness’, ‘wood’ This derivation assumes that Kasaragoda is a simple corruption...
Guj: કાઠીયાવાડ kāṭhīyāvāḍa ‘Land of the Kathis’ -Region/Peninsula, Gujarat From Kathi and Guj/Hin: vāṛā/vāḍā, ‘place (belonging to)’, ‘colony’, ‘settlement’. The 61,000 km2 Kathiawar/Saurashtra peninsula (the names are roughly equivalent), reaching out into the...
Mal: കട്ടപ്പന kaṭṭappana ‘Palm Trees’ Town, Kerala From Mal: kaṭṭa, ‘lump’, ‘mass’, ‘block’; and pana, ‘palm/palmyra tree’. Kattapana is located in the mountain ranges of Idukki District at an altitude of 1,000+m – an ideal location for growing the cardamom,...
‘Forked (Island)’ -Island/Capital, Lakshadweep Mal: kavaram, ‘prong(ed)’, ‘branch(ed)’, ‘fork(ed)’, ‘(separated into) channels’. This is a fairly good description of the island which splits the sea into two channels in the middle. The island...
Mal: കായംകുളം kāyaṅkuḷaṁ ‘Backwater Lake’ Town, Kerala From Mal: kāyal, ‘backwater’, ‘lagoon’; and kuḷam, ‘tank’, ‘pool’, ‘lake’. Kayamkulam is located at the end of a saltwater lagoon. It is home to the 18thC Krishnapuram Palace built by King Marthanda Varma of ...
Asm: কাজিৰঙা kājirāṅgā ‘Kazi’s Village’ National Park, Assam From Kbi: kaji/kazi, female personal name; and rang/rong, ‘village’. Archaeological evidence suggests the Karbi people once ruled here. There are a number of derivations which are based on personal names...
Guj: ખંભાત khambhāt ‘Pillar Village’ [Cambay, Khambavati] – City, Gujarat From Skt/Hin: stambha/khambhā, ‘pillar’; and Skt: vāṭī, ‘site’, ‘enclosure’, ‘village’. Khambhat was, in ancient times before its harbour silted up, an important port and trading...
Mar: खंडाळा khaṇḍāḷā ‘Chasm’ -Hill Station Maharashtra Skt: khaṇḍa ‘chasm’, ’gap’, ‘fissure’; and Mar: āvali, ‘row’, ‘range’. Khandala is a hill station in a dramatic setting with steep valleys and mountain passes. The name fits. Khandala and the nearby Lonavla hill...
Ben: খড়্গপুর khaṛgapura ‘Kharga’s City’ City, West Bengal From Kharga Malla and Skt: pur, ‘city’ Kharga Malla, a 9thC king of the Mallabhum dynasty of Bishnupur, conquered this city/region and named it after himself. Kharagpur is...
Guj: ખેડા khēḍā ‘Field’ [Khetaka] -City/District, Gujarat From Skt: kshetra, ‘field’. The name Kheda originated from kshetra [→khetta→kherak→kheda]. Kheda has a history of rebellion. In 1803-8 the Koli chiefs rose up against the East India Company, raiding and...
Mar: खुलदाबाद khuladābāda ‘City of the Exalted’ [Rauza] -City, Maharashtra From Per: ḵẖuld-makānī, ‘exalted to heaven (title given to deceased emperors, princes etc.), ‘dwelling in Paradise’; and Urd: ābād, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. Emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb...
Mal: കൊച്ചി kōccī ‘Short Estuary’ [Kochchi, Cochym, Cochin] City/District, Kerala. From Mal: koccu, ‘short’, ‘small’; Mal/Tam: aḻi ‘rivermouth’, ‘place where the lagoon joins the sea’, ‘inlet to backwater’. Kochi is a port city with traditional links to trade with...
Tam: கொடைக்கானல் koṭaikkāṉal ‘Forest of Creepers’ Hill Station, Tamil Nadu From Tam: koṭi , ‘creeper’, ‘vine’; and kāṉal a forest on a hill-slope. Kodaikanal was founded by American missionaries in the 19thC as an escape from the hot, dusty Tamil climate. It was...
Mal: കൊടുങ്ങല്ലൂര് koṭuṅṅallūr ‘Corner Town’ [Cranganore, Muziris] Town, Kerala. From Mal: kōḍu/i, ‘ end’, ‘corner’, ‘promontory’; nalla, ‘ good’, ‘fine’, ‘excellent’; and uru/uuru, ‘town’, ‘city’. Muziris was an important port with origins dating...
(Hin): कोहिमा kohima ‘Kewhi Flower’ [Kewhimia, Kewhi-ra] – City/Capital/District, Nagaland Kohima was founded in 1878 and became the HQ of the Naga Hills region. When the state of Nagaland was created in 1963 it became the capital. Kohima is a British...
Kan: ಕೋಲಾರ kōlāra ‘Waterlily City’ [Kuvalapura Kolahalapura] City/District, Karnataka From Skt: kuvaḷa(ya), ‘(blue) waterlily’ [Kan: kōvaḷ, kōhaḷ, kōḷe]. Kolaramma has been the resident goddess of Kolara for a thousand years with her own Chola-style temple decked...
Mar: कोल्हापूर kōlhāpūra ‘Fox City’ -City/District, Maharashtra From Mar: kōlhā, ‘fox’, ‘jackal’ [Lat: Canis aureus]; and Skt: pur, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. According to myth this was the home of Kolhasur, a fox-like demon defeated by the Goddess Mahalakshmi to save...
Ben: কলকাতা kalakātā ‘Kali Area/Ghat’ [Calcutta,Kalikata, Kalkata] City/Capital, West Bengal Kolkata, one of the four original Indian ‘metros’, is now only the seventh largest city in India. It is the capital West Bengal and was the capital of British India...
Mal: കൊല്ലം kollam ‘Palace’ [Quilon, Covlaõ] City/District, Kerala From Mal: kollam, ‘residence of king’, ‘palace’ [kō, ‘king’; and illam, ‘house’ cf. kōyil/kōvil/kōyilakam, ‘palace’, ‘temple’] Kollam is an ancient port city which had...
Mal: കൊട്ടാരക്കര koṭṭārakkarā ‘Palace Shore’ Town, Kerala From Mal:: koṭṭāram, ‘royal residence/palace’, ‘place where temple-affairs are managed’, ‘storehouse/granary’; and: kara, ‘shore’, ‘riverside’. The Pulamon Thodu (river) flows through the town and we assume...
Mal: കോട്ടയം kōṭṭayam ‘Interior of the Fort’ City/District, Kerala From Mal: koṭṭā, ‘fort’, ‘residence’; and akam, ‘interior’, ‘inside’; or Mal/Tam: ayam, ‘pool’, ‘tank’. The royal palace of the Thekkumkur ruler was protected by a fort called Thaliyilkotta. The...
Mal: കോവളം kōvaḷam ‘King’s Coast’ Town/Resort, Kerala From Mal: kō, ‘king’; or kōyam/kōva, ‘temple’, ‘palace’; and aḷam, ‘coastal area’, ‘sea’, ‘saltpan’. There are two ‘twin’ Kovalams in Tamil Nadu (one near Kanyakumari, the other...
Mal: കൊയിലാണ്ടി kōyilāṇṭi ‘Temple Passage’ [Pandalayani Kollam, Fandaraina, Quilandi] Town, Kerala From Mal: kōyil, kōvil, ‘temple’, ‘palace’; and kaṇti, ‘gap’, ‘breach’, ‘passage’, ‘lane’. Koyilandy is close to the medieval port of Pandalayani Kollam. This may...
Mal: കോഴിക്കോട് kōḻikkōṭu ‘Palace Fort’ [Qalicut, Calicut] City/District, Kerala From Mal: kōyil, kōvil, ‘palace’; or kōḻi/kōzhi, ‘fowl’, ‘cock’; and kōṭ(ṭ)a, ‘fort’. The idea that this was originally a ‘fortified palace’ wins on points but ‘Cock Fort’ is...
Tam: கிருஷ்ணகிரி kiruṣṇakiri ‘Krishna Hill’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Krishnadevarayar and Skt: giri, ‘mountain’, ‘hill’, ‘rock’ Krishnagiri Fort was built by Krishnadevarayar, a 16thC Vijayanagara Emperor. He reigned from 1509 to 1529 when the Empire was at...
Ben: কৃষ্ণনগর kr̥ṣṇanagara ‘Krishnachandra’s City’ City, West Bengal Raja Krishnachandra/Krishnachandra Roy was an 18thC raja and zamindar. He led a sustained resistance to Muslim rule and Maratha raids. He is remembered as a visionary leader and patron of poetry,...
Kan: ಕುದುರೆಮುಖ kuduremukha ‘Horse Face’ Mountain Range/Peak, Karnataka From Kan: kudure, ‘horse’, ‘knight (in chess)’; and Skt: mukha, ‘mouth’. Kuduremukha is a 1,894 m peak (Karnataka’s second highest), mountain range, national park, hill station and mining...
Tam: கும்பகோணம் kumpakōṇam ‘Cosmic Pot Corner’ City, Tamil Nadu From Tam: kumpam, ‘small water-jar’, ‘sacrificial pot’, ‘pinnacle (of a temple’; and kōṇam, ‘angle’, ‘corner’. Every twelve years hundreds of thousands of devotees flock to the holy town of Kumbakonam...
Mal: കുന്നംകുളം kunnamkulam ‘Hill Ponds’ Town, Kerala Mal: kunnu/kunnam, ‘hill’, ‘mountain’; and kuḷam, ‘tank’, ‘pool’, ‘lake’. There are a range of small hills which border the town [Adupputty, Cherukunnu, Kizhoor and Kakkad] and small ponds dotted between...
Nep: खरसाङ kharasāṅa ‘Little Orchid’ Town, West Bengal From Lep: kurson-rip, ‘little orchid’ [Coelogyne cristata] These little white orchids can be found in the valleys around the town. The town is a tea centre with dozens of plantations. It...
Guj: કચ્છ kaccha ‘Salt Marsh Desert’ -Region, Gujarat From Skt: kaccha, ‘marsh’; Hin/Skt: ran/īriṇa ‘desert, ‘barren land’. The Great and Little Rann of Kutch/Kachch are salt marsh wetlands, submerged during the monsoon. They cover an area of around 27,000 sq. km....
Lad: གླེ ‘Nomad Encampment’ City/Capital, Ladakh Leh was an important junction on trading routes linking Tibet, Kashmir, and China where foodstuffs (grain, spices, salt) and textiles (silk, wool, cloth, thread) were exchanged. Francke (1914) suggest the...
Mar: लोणावळा lōṇāvaḷā ‘Cave Row’ Town/Hill Station, Maharashtra From Mar: lēṇē, ‘(man-made, decorated) cave’, ‘rock-cut temple’; and Mar: āvali, ‘row’, ‘range’. This refers to the sequence of ancient caves nearby (mostly Buddhist) with carvings, stupas, temples and...
Guj: લોથલ lōthala ‘Mound of the Dead’ -Archaeological site, Gujarat From Hin/Guj: loth, ‘dead’; and Skt: sthala, ‘mound’. Lothal was a southern port city of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization dating back to the fourth millenium BCE. It shares the same name as...
Kon: लौतोलिम lautolim ‘Sedge Grass Lake’ – Village From Kon: lovo/loyo, ‘sedge grass’; and Kon: tollem, ‘lake’, ‘pond’. Sedge is a relative of grass but has a triangular stem and and spiral display, rather than a...
Hin: लुनि luni ‘Salt River’ Town, river, Rajasthan From Skt: lavaṇa, ‘salt’, ‘sea-salt’; and Skt: vahatī, ‘river’. Luni is situated on the banks of the Luni river (495km), the longest river in the Thar Desert flowing from Ajmer to the Rann of Kutch. It flows through...
Tam: மதுரை madurai ‘Walled City’ [Matirai] City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: matiḷ, ‘wall (round a fort)’, ‘walled city or fortification’ Records of the name Matirai date back to 2ndC Tamil-Brahmi cave inscriptions. Madurai was once a double-walled fortified...
Mar: महाबळेश्वर mahābaḷēśvara ‘Lord Mahabali’ [Malcolmpeth] -Hill Station/Town, Maharashtra Mahabaleshwar is a hill station (1,372m) in the Western Ghats. It was founded by Sir John Malcolm in the early 19thC who made it the summer capital of the Governors of...
Guj: મહેસાણા mahēsāṇā ‘Mehsaji’s City’ – City/District, Gujarat From Mehsaji or Hin/Skt: mahish/mahiṣa, ‘buffalo’; and Skt: ayana→ana, ‘place’, ‘abode’. Mehsana was established by Mehsaji of the Chavda dynasty. He constructed the Torana (arc gate) of the city...
Asm: মাজুলী mājulī ‘Middle of the Water’ Island/District, Assam From Skt/Asm/Ben: madhya/mājha, ‘middle’; and jala, ‘water’, ‘stream’. Majuli is in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest river island in the world. It can be accessed via ferry from Jorhat. It...
Mal: മലപ്പുറം malappuram ‘City in the Hills’ City/District, Kerala From Mal: mala, ‘mountain’, ‘raised land’, ‘hill-land’; and Skt: pur(am), ‘fort’, ‘town’, ‘city’. The area features hills and mountains carpeted in green with freshwater streams flowing down into...
Ben: মালদা māladā ‘Wealthy (city)’ [Maldah, Maldaha, English Bazar, Angrezabad] City/District, West Bengal From Urd: māl-dār, ‘wealthy’. Malda is a port on the Mahananda and Kalindi rivers and has been a trading centre for mango, mulberry, jute, silk, wheat, rice,...
Tam: மாமல்லபுரம் mamallapuram ‘Great Wrestler’s City’ [Mahabalipuram] Town, Tamil Nadu From Skt: maha, ‘great’; Skt/Tam: malla, ‘wrestler’, ‘athlete’; and Skt: pura, ‘town’, ‘city’. Narasimhavarman I was a 7thC Pallava king. He completed the group of rock cut...
Mal: മാനന്തവാടി mānanthavādi ‘Great Bliss Village’ Town, Kerala From Skt: maha, ‘great’, ‘abundant’; ānanda, ‘joy’, ‘bliss’; and Dra: paṭṭī/vāṭī, ‘settlement’, ‘town/village’; or Mal: mān, ‘deer’; eyyuka, ytu, ‘shoot an arrow’; and Dra: paṭṭī/vāṭī,...
Guj: માંડવી māṇḍavī ‘Settlement’ -Town (Kutch District), Gujarat From Mandavya or Skt: mandira, ‘dwelling’, ‘resting place’, ‘house’, ’palace’, ‘camp‘, ‘temple’. Like Mandya (Karnataka) the most popular derivation is the unlikely one that the town was named after...
Kan: ಮಂಡ್ಯ maṇḍya ‘Settlement’ City/District, Karnataka Skt: mandira, ‘dwelling’, ‘resting place’, ‘house’, ’palace’, ‘camp‘, ‘temple’. Like Mandvi (Gujarat) the most popular derivation is the unlikely one that the town was named after the ancient sage, Mandavya,...
Kan:ಮಂಗಳೂರು maṅgaḷūru ‘Mangaladevi’s City’ [Mangalore, Mangalapuram] City/District, Karnataka From Mangaladevi and Kan: ūr/ūru, ‘town’, ‘village’. Mangalore is named after its 9thC temple dedicated to the goddess Mangaladevi who clearly brings the city great fortune...
Mal: മഞ്ചേരി manjeri ‘Walled Settlement’ Town, Kerala From Mal: maṇ, ‘mud-wall’, ‘wall’, ‘stone-wall’; and c(h)ēri ‘colony’, ‘settlement’. Manjeri is famous for its Stone Age sites including rock-cut caves, menhirs and dolmens. At one point it was the military HQ...
Mal: മഞ്ചേശ്വരം manjeshvaram ‘Srimad Anantheswar’ Town, Kerala The most common explanation is that the town is named after its local deity, Srimath Anantheshwar. Over time this metamorphosed into Manjeshwar. The Anantheswar temple dates back to the 8thC and is...
Mal: മണ്ണാറശ്ശാല mannaraśśāla ‘Coral Tree Hall’ Temple, Kerala From Mal: mandāram, ‘Indian coral tree [Erythrina Indica]; Mal/Skt: śāla, ‘hall’. Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple in Haripad is dedicated to Agaraja, the snake god. Thousands of snake images...
Kon: म्हापशें mhāpaśēna ‘Large Land Grant’ [Mahapasaita] – Town/Capital From Skt: mahā, ‘great’, ‘large’; and Mar: pasaita, ‘land grant (in return for services)’. Mahapasaita was clearly too much of a mouthful for the Portuguese. They called it Mabussa and then...
Mal: മരട് marat ‘Indian Laurel’ Suburb (Kochi), Kerala From Mal/Tam: marutu/maradu, ‘Indian Laurel [Terminalia tomentosa]’. The Indian laurel tree is famous for storing water during the dry season; this water can be tapped. Maradu is now a fast growing suburb of...
Mar: मराठेवाडा marāṭhēvāḍā ‘Abode of the Marathas’ – Region/Division, Maharashtra From Maratha and Mar: vāḍā, ‘settlement’, ‘colony’. This region of Maharashtra was formerly a Marathi-speaking region of the former princely state of Hyderabad. The term dates...
Kon: मडगाव maḍagāva ‘Monastery Village’ [Maṭhagrāma, Madgao(n)] -City/Capital From Skt: maṭh(a), ‘hermitage’, ‘monastery’, ‘temple’; and Skt: grāma→Mar/Kon: gaon/gaun, ‘village’. Margão is the Portuguese spelling (with nasalised ending), and Madgao(n) is the name...
Hin: मरुस्थली marusthalī ‘Desert Land’ Region, Rajasthan From Skt: maru, ‘arid tract’, ‘sandy waste’, ‘desert’; Skt: sthala, ‘land’, ‘place’. Marusthali is a 62,000 sq. km region north of the Luni River which forms the sand-dune-covered...
Mar: माथेरान māthērāna ‘Forest Hill’ -Town/Hill Station, Maharashtra Mar: māthā, ‘crown’, ‘crest (of a hill); Mar/Skt: araṇa/araṇya, ‘forest’ Matheran is a car-free hill station, 80km west of Mumbai. It was founded by the British in the mid-19thC. The Matheran toy...
Mal: മട്ടന്നൂര് maṭṭaṉūr ‘River Bank’ Town, Kerala From Mal: māṭṭam, ‘entrenchment’, ‘ river bank’; and ūr, ‘village’, ‘town’, ‘city’. Mattanur is famous for its percussion: the chenda, a loud two-sided cylindrical drum which features in temple ceremonies,...
Mal: മാവേലിക്കര māvēlikkara ‘Mahabali Bank’ Town, Kerala From Mahābali/Māveli and Mal: kara, ‘bank’, shore’, ‘riverside’ This mythological derivation relates the story of Maveli or Mahabali, the mythical king of Kerala and devotee of Vishnu. King Mahabali, despite...
Ben: মেদিনীপুর mēdinīpura ‘Madani’s City’ [Madanipur, Midnapore] City/District, West Bengal Thre most popular derivation is from Moulana Mustafa Madani, a Muslim scholar who was granted lands here by Aurangzeb, the 17thC Moghul emperor. There are...
Hin: मेवाड़ा mēvāṛā ‘Abode of the Medas’ Region, Rajasthan Medas and Hin: vāṛā, ‘place (belonging to)’, ‘colony’, ‘settlement’. Mewar or Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara,...
Guj: મોઢેરા mōḍhērā ‘City of Joy’ – Village/Temple, Gujarat From Skt: modaḥ ‘delight’, ‘pleasure’, ‘joy’; and Skt: pura→ara, ‘fort’, ‘city’. This extraordinary 11thC Sun Temple (one of only two in India) was built in such a way that on the days of the spring...
Kon: मोइर mo’ir ‘Peacock (Village)’ – Village From Skt/Mar: mayūra, ‘peacock’. The peacock suggests a connection with the Mauryan kingdom and an early Aryan settlement rather than simply the bird. The Western Maurya Kingdom (and its offshoot, the Konkan...
Kon: मोरमुगाव mōramugāva ‘Peacock Village’ – City and Sub-district. From Skt/Kon: mora, ‘peacock’; and Skt: grāma→Mar/Kon: gaon/gaun, ‘village’. Mormugaon is a seaport with a deep natural harbour. It is Goan’s main port and India’s leading iron ore...
Hin: माउंट आबू mā’uṇṭ ābū ‘Serpent Forest Mountain’ [Arbudaranya. Arbuda-anchal] Hill Station, town, Rajasthan From Skt: arbuda, ‘snake’, ‘(name of a) serpent-demon’; and Skt: araṇya, ‘forest’; or Hin: anchal, ‘region’. In ancient times Mt Abu was called...
Mar: मुंबई mumba’ī ‘Mumba Devi’ [Bombay. Bom Bahia] -Capital City, Maharashtra Originally Mumbai was a group of seven islands [Bombay, Colaba, Lt Colaba, Mahim, Mazagaon, Parel, Worli] separated by malarial swamps; in the 14thC they were part of the lands...
Guj: મુન્દ્રા mundrā ‘Picturesque’ -Town/Port (Kutch District), Gujarat From Guj/Hindi: manōhara, ‘picturesque’, Mundra is a medieval port town founded by Rao Bhojrajji I in the 17thC and built by Vardhman Sheth, a Jain ship-owner and merchant.A legend tells of...
Mal: മൂന്നാര് mūṇṇāṟ ‘Three Rivers’ Town/Hill Station, Kerala From Mal: mūnnu, ‘three’; and āṟu, river. The three mountain streams are: Mudrapuzha, Kundala and Nallathanni. Munnar is famous for its tea plantations, waterfalls, hiking trails and spectacular views....
Ben: মুর্শিদাবাদ murśidābāda ‘Murshid’s Town’ [Mukshudabad] City/District, West Bengal From Per: murshid, ‘(spiritual) guide’; and abad, ‘settlement’. Murshid Quli Khan (a.k.a. Mohammad Hadi and Surya Narayan Mishra) was the first Nawab of Bengal (1717-1727). He...
Mar: मुरुड muruḍa ‘Morod Island’ Fort, Maharashtra From Kon: morod, ‘upland’; and Urd/Per: jazī’rah, ‘island’. The sea fort at Murud-Janjira is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on all sides and can only be reached by boat. It has 22 huge bastions with high...
Mal: മുവാറ്റുപുഴ mūvāṭṭupuḻā ‘Three River Confluence’ Town, Kerala From Mal: mūnnu, ‘three’; āṟu/āṟṟu, ‘river’; and puḻa/puzha, ‘river’. The Muvattupuzha river flows through the town. It is the sacred Triveni Sangam (3-way confluence) of three rivers:...
Ben: নবদ্বীপ nabadvīpa ‘New Island’ [Navadwip, Nadia, Nudiya] City/District, West Bengal. From Ben/Hin: naba, ‘new’; and dbīpa/dvipa, ‘island’ Nababadwip was formed by deposits left by the Hooghly (a distributary of the Ganges) creating a ‘new island’ as it swept from...
Guj: નળ સરોવર naḷa sarōvara ‘Drain Lake’ -Lake/Bird Sanctuary, Gujarat From Hin/Guj: nal, ‘channel’, ‘drain’; and Guj: sarōvar, ‘lake’. Nalsarovar is a shallow lake spread over 120 sq. km with 36 islets. 75,000 years ago, Nalsarovar was part of a channel that...
Asm: নগাঁও nagām̐ō ‘New Village’ [Nowgong] Town/District, Assam From Asm: na, ‘new’; and gāon, ‘village’ [Skt: grama]. Nowgong was a feeble British attempt at writing Nagaon. It is neither new (it dates back to at least the 17thC) nor a village (it has a population...
Tam: நாகப்பட்டினம் nākappaṭṭiṉam ‘Naga City’ Town/District, Tamil Nadu From Nagas and Tam: paṭṭiṉam, ‘coastal city’, ‘sea-shore town’. The Nagas [from Skt/Tam: naga/nākam, ‘snake’, ‘cobra’] were an aboriginal, serpent-worshipping tribe associated with Sri Lanka and...
Hin: नागौर nāgaur ‘Naga’s City’ City/District, Rajasthan From Naga and Skt: pur(i)→-aur, ‘town’, ‘city’. Nagapura was founded by Nag Rajputs, a warrior clan claiming descent from the Nagas, a snake-worshipping tribe in ancient India, who used the serpent as their...
Mar:नागपूर nāgapūra ‘Nag River City’ -City/District, Maharashtra From Nag River; and SKT: pur, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. The Nag River flows through the city and this is the most popular derivation. But it may also refer to a much earlier pre- or non-Aryan tribe, the...
Asm: নলবাৰী nalabāṛi ‘Reed Garden’ Town/District, Assam From Asm: nal, ‘(a kind of) reed’; and bari, ‘garden’, ‘compound’. At one time the Nalbari region was famous for its silks and the Tailaparnika perfume which, according to Kautilya’s Arthasastra, had the:...
Mar: नांदेड nāndēḍa ‘Nandi Shore’ [Nanditata, Nandigrama] -City, Maharashtra From Nandi and Mar: taṭa ‘shore or bank (of the sea or a river); or Skt: grama, ‘village’. Nanded is on the banks of the Godavari river. Nandi is Shiva’s gatekeeper, vehicle...
‘Hell-pit Island’ From Tam: naraka, ‘hell’; and Tam: kuṇṭam, ‘deep cavity’, ‘pit’. This is a volcano island with a 710m peak. 150km further south is Barren Island which still has an active volcano. For related place names see Indian Place names and Andaman &...
Guj: નર્મદા નદી narmadā nadī ‘Pleasure-giver’ [Nerbudda] River, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh Nerbudda, Narbada. From Skt: narmada, ‘causing mirth or pleasure’, ‘delightful’. The Narmada, India’s fifth longest river, is called the ‘life line’ of Madhya Pradesh and...
Mar:नाशिक nāśika ‘Nine Peaks’ [Gulshanabad] – City/ District, Maharashtra From Mar: nava, ‘nine’; Mar: śikhara ‘top, summit, or peak (of a mountain); and (Mughal period) Urd: gul’shan, ‘flower garden’; Urd: ābād, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. Nashik is located...
Guj: નવસારી navasārī ‘New Inn’ – City/District,Gujarat From Skt/Hin/Guj: nav, ‘new’; and Hin/Guj: sarāi, ‘inn’, ‘resting place’. Navsari has strong Parsi connections. Jamsetji Tata, the industrialist, and Dadabhai Naroji, the first Indian M.P. in Britain...
Asm: নাজিৰা nājirā ‘Harbour’ Town, Assam From Asm: nāo, ‘boat’; and jira, ‘resting (place)’. One could imagine this as an inlet used as a stopover on the River Dikhow. Other sources suggest: ‘Steep Field’. [from Aho: nā, field; ji, ‘slant’; and rā, ‘much’,...
Mal: നെടുമങ്ങാട് neṭumaṅkāṭ ‘Long Bazaar’ Town, Kerala From Mal: neṭu, ‘long’ ; and aṅkāṭi/aṅgaḍi, ‘bazaar’, ‘market’. The modern Nedumangad market is the largest in southern Kerala. Nedumangad is also an important marketplace for agricultural commodities,...
[Ross Island] This island (measuring less than 1.0km²) and the surrounding region was surveyed in 1788 by Sir Daniel Ross, a British hydrographer famed for his scientific accuracy and nicknamed “the Father of the Indian Surveys” landed on the small island in 1788 and...
Tam:நெய்வேலி neyvēli ‘Paddy Fields’ Town, Tamil Nadu From Tam: nel , ‘paddy’; vēli, ‘field’, ‘enclosure’, ‘land’ At one time rice dominated the local economy, but since the 1960s lignite and thermal power stations have taken over: Neyveli...
Mal: നെയ്യാറ്റിൻകര neyyāṭiṉkara ‘Shore of Neyyar River’ Town, Kerala From Neyyar; Mal: āṟu/āṟṟu, ‘river’; and kara, ‘bank’, shore’, ‘riverside’ The Neyyar river flows from Agasthya mountain, the highest peak in the Western Ghats (1868m), on the border with Tamil...
Mal: നിലേശ്വർ nīlēṣvar ‘Nilakanta Shiva’ Town, Kerala Neeleswaram is the abbreviated form of Neelakanta Ishwaran, formerly the seat of the Neeleswaram Rajahs. The name Nileshwar is derived from the name of the temple, Thaliyil Neelakandeshwar, which is dedicated to...
Tam: நீலகிரி nīlakiri ‘Blue Mountains’ District, Tamil Nadu From Skt/Tam: nīla(m) ‘blue’, ‘indigo’; and Skt/Tam: giri, ‘mountain’, ‘hill’, ‘rock’ Some suggest that the name comes from the purple-blue flowers of the kurinji [Strobilanthes kunthiana], but since it...
see Udhagamandalam/Ooty (TN)
Mar: उस्मानाबाद usmānābāda ‘Osman’s City’ City/District, Maharashtra From Osman and Urd: ābād, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. The modern Osmanabad and Latur Districts were historically known as Dharashiv, the name of the seven ancient Buddhist and Jain caves which are...
Mal: ഒറ്റപ്പാലം oṟṟappālaṁ ‘Single Bridge’ Town, Kerala From Mal: oṟṟa, ott(r)a, ‘single’, ‘one’; and pālam, ‘bridge (over a river)’. The Ottappalam-Mayannur bridges stretches 0.71km across the Bharathapuzha river. For related place names see Indian Place...
Mar: पैठण paiṭhaṇa ‘Foundation (City)’ [Pratisthana] Town, Maharashtra From Skt: pratiṣṭhāna, ‘foundation’, ‘firm standing-place’; or Skt: pratiṣṭhā, ‘abode’,’ dwelling’; and Skt: sthāna, ‘place’. Paithan was the original capital of the Satavahana Empire (2ndC BCE...
Mal: പാലക്കാട് pālakkāṭ ‘Blackboard Tree Wood’ [Palghat, Palakkattussery] City/District, Kerala, From Mal: pāla, ‘blackboard tree’ [Echites/Alstonia scholaris]; and kāṭu, ‘wilderness’, ‘wood’. This is sometimes called the ‘seven-leaved milk-tree’ because of its...
Tam:பழனி paḻaṉi ‘Paddy Fields’ Town, Tamil Nadu From Tam: paḻaṉam/pazhaṉam, ‘agricultural land’, ‘rice-fields’. Palani, one of the Arupadai Veedu (six battle camps) of Lord Murugan, is a pilgrimage destination for seven million devotees of Murugan every year. In...
Guj: પાલનપુર pālanapura ‘Palansi’s Town’ [Prahaladanapura] – City, Gujarat Prahladana of the Parmar/Paramar Dynasty founded the original town in 1218. The Parmar Dynasty ruled Malwa and neughbouring regions in the 9-14thC. A century later Palansi Chauhan took...
Mar: पालघर pālaghara ‘Leaf House’ Town, Maharashtra From Mar: pālā, ‘leaves’ or Mar: pāla, ‘hut with sloping sides and open ends’, ‘(cloth or blanket) tent’; and Mar: ghar(a), ‘house’. This may refer to the original type of housing here, which may or may not be...
Hin: पाली pālī ‘Village’ [Pallika and Palli] – City/District, Rajasthan From Skt/Dra: palli, ‘village’, ‘hamlet’. It’s not a village now and it’s even been nicknamed the ‘Industrial City’. Its industries are textiles (it has Rajasthan’s largest cotton mill),...
Guj: પાલીતાણા pālītāṇā ‘Sanctuary’ [Padliptpur] -Temple town, Gujarat. From Padlipt and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’; or pālita, ‘protected’ and ayana→ana, ‘place’, ‘abode’. 1,008 Jain temples sit in a cluster on top of Shatrunjaya Hill, a place where you can...
Kon: पणजी paṇajī ‘Five Creeks’ [Nova Goa, Pahajani kali, Pangim, Panjim] -Capital/City From Skt/Mar/Hin: pañca, ‘five’; or Skt/Mar/Hin: prācyaka/ prācya/prāchi, ‘eastern’, ‘easterly’; and Hin/Mar: khāṛī/kālavā, ‘canal’, ‘creek’ Panaji is Goa’s...
Guj: પંચમહાલ pan̄camahāla ‘Five Mahals’ -District, Gujarat From Hin/Skt: panch, ‘five’; and Hin/Urd: mahal, ‘(political) division’ (originally ‘palace’). A mahal is an administrative division in India corresponding to a township (and ancillary villages), tehsil or...
Mal: പന്തളം pantaḷaṁ ‘Pandalam (Dynasty)’ Town, Kerala The Pandalam dynasty was a branch of the Pandya kingdom which fled here in the 10thC. Their territory covered nearly 3,000 sq. km: Konni, Achankovil, Tenkasi and the forest regions of Sabarimala, the...
Mal: പരവൂർ paravūr ‘Paravar Village’ Town, Kerala From Paravar and Mal: ūr, ‘town’, ‘village’. Some suggest that the name comers from the seafaring Paravar tribe/community who have lived on the coast here (and in Tamil Nadu) since ancient times. Paravur...
Mar: परभणी parabhaṇī ‘Prabhavati’s City’ [Prabhavatinagar] – City/District, Maharashtra From Prabhavati and Skt: nagar, ‘city’. Parbhani is a corruption of Prabhavati (Nagar). In ancient times there was a large temple here dedicated to the goddess Prabhavati...
Ben: সাউথ/নার্থ 24 পরগনা nārtha/sāutha 24 paraganā ’24 Divisions’ – Districts, West Bengal From Ben: paraganā, ‘administrative division’. The District name is derived from the number of parganas granted by Nawab Mir Jafar to the East India Company...
Guj: પાટણ pāṭaṇa ‘(Anahil’s) City’ -City/District, Gujarat From Skt/Guj: pattana/paṭṭana, ‘town’, ‘city’. King Vanaraja of the 8thC Chavda dynasty founded this city and, according to legend, named it Anahilpur or Anahilpattana after a cowherd who chose the...
Mal: പത്തനംതിട്ട pattanantiṭṭa ‘Riverside Dwelling’ Town/District, Kerala From Mal: paṭṭaṇam, ‘abode’, ‘dwelling’; and tiṭṭa, ‘bank’, ‘shoal’. The river here is the 128km Achankovil. The Sabarimala Ayyappa temple is in Pathanamthitta District and because it is the...
Kan: ಪಟ್ಟದ್ಕಲ್ಲು paṭṭadkallu ‘Coronation Stone’ [Raktapura] From Skt: paṭṭa ‘crown’, ‘band’, ‘ribbon’; Kan: kal/kallu, ‘stone’. Pattadakal is a complex of exquisitely crafted 7-8thC Hindu and Jain temples. It is the artistic and spiritual legacy, with neighboring...
Mal: പെരിന്തല്മണ്ണ perintalmaṇṇa ‘Great Wrestling Ground’ Town, Kerala From Mal: peru, ‘great’, ‘large’; tallu, ‘beating’, ‘fighting’ (boxing/wrestling); and maṇ(ṇa), ‘soil’, ‘earth’, ‘ground’. Perintalmanna was famous for its Mamankam post-harvest festivals...
Kon: परनेम paranem ‘Foundation’ – Town and Sub-district From Mar: pēraṇēm, ‘foundation’. The name refers to the settlements of Saraswat Brahmins (see Tiswadi). Pernem was one of the Novas Conquistas or ‘New Conquests’, sub-districts added to Portuguese Goa...
Tam: பொள்ளாச்சி poḷḷācci ‘Sesban Forest’ Town/Taluk, Tamil Nadu From Tam: poḻil, ‘grove’, ‘forest’; and akatti/accam/acci, ‘sesban’ or ‘West Indian pea tree’ [Sesbania grandiflora] a.k.a. ‘corkwood’, ‘swamp pea’,...
Mal: പൊന്നാനി ponnāni ‘Gold Coin’ Town/Taluk, Kerala From Mal: pon, ‘gold’; and nāṇayaṁ, ‘coin’. Gold coins were introduced by Arab and Persian traders. Ponnani has been an important port since ancient times. It was the principal principle trade route between Malabar...
‘Port Blair’ – City/Capital Lieutenant Archibald Blair surveyed the Islands in the late 18thC for the British East India Company. Port Blair is the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Its infamous Cellular Jail [also Kala Pani from ...
Hin: प्रतापगढ़ pratāpagaṛh ‘Pratrap’s Fort’ [Partabgarh] – City/District, Rajasthan From Pratap [Skt/Hin: pratāpa, glorious, dignified, mighty] and Hin: gaṛh, ‘fort’. Rajkumar Pratapsingh built Pratapgarh in 1698 near the older Devgarh Fort and...
Tam: புதுக்கோட்டை putukkōṭṭai ‘New Fort’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: putu, ‘new’; and Tam: kōṭṭai, ‘fort’, ‘fortified town’. Pudukottai was a kingdom founded in the late 17thC by the Raja of Ramnad, Raghunatha Setupati, The nearby Thirumayam Fort is a 16...
Tam: பூம்புகார் pūmpukār ‘Seaport’ [Poompuhar, Kaveripoompattinam] Town/Ancient Seaport, Tamil Nadu From Tam: pukār, ‘mouth of a river’; ‘seaport’ Puhar was an ancient seaport on the east coast. At one time it served as both...
Mal: പുനലൂർ punalūr ‘Riverbridge’ Town, Kerala From Mal: puṇal, ‘water’, ‘river’; and ūr, ‘town’, ‘city’. Punalur is situated on the banks of the 121km Kallada river. Its 120m suspension bridge, built in 1877, is nicknamed the ‘London Bridge of Kerala’...
Mar: पुणे puṇē ‘Auspicious City’ [Punya-Visaya, Punyangari, Pumawadi, Poona].- City/District, Maharashtra From Skt: puṇya, ‘auspicious’, ‘virtuous’, ‘holy’, ‘sacred’; Skt: viṣaya, ‘kingdom’, ‘province’, ‘region’; Skt: nagar, ‘city’; Mar: vāḍā/vāḍi, ‘settlement’]....
Hin: पुष्कर pushkar ‘Blue Lotus’ – City, Rajasthan From Skt: puṣkara, ‘blue lotus-flower’ [Nelumbium Speciosum or Nymphaea Nelumbo]. Pushkar is famous for the Kartik Mela, the annual Camel Fair featuring thousands of camels, horses and heads of cattle; and...
Kon: कुएरिम kuerim ‘Street’ (Keri) From Kan: kēri, ‘street’, ‘lane’. Querim beach sits at the end of a 5km-long path. The name is a Portuguese corruption (the final -m indicates that the preceding vowel is nasalized). For related place names see Indian Place...
Kan: ರಾಯಚೂರು rāyac(h)ūru ‘Royal City’ City/District, Karnataka From Kan: rāya(ca), ‘royal’; and ūr/ūru, ‘town’, ‘village’. There has been a fort here since the 7-8thC under the Chalukyas of Badami – it was rebuilt in the 13thC. Raichur was a part of the...
Mar: रायगड rāyagaḍa ‘King’s Fort’ [Rairi] Fort/District, Maharashtra From Mar: rāya, ‘king’; and Mar: aḍa, ‘fort’. Raigad fort was the capital of the Maratha Empire under Shivaji, the Maratha leader. The district was originally called Kolaba and was renamed in...
Ben: রায়গঞ্জ rāẏagañja ‘Mustard Market’ City, West Bengal Ben: rāi, ‘mustard’; and Hin/Ben/Urd: gañja, ‘central market’, ‘bazaar’, ‘storehouse’ [orig. Per: gāṅj, ‘treasure’]. Raiganj was founded as a river port trading in rice, jute, jaggery and mustard. In its...
Tam: இராசபாளையம் irācapāḷaiyam ‘Raju Cantonment’ City/Taluk, Tamil Nadu From Tam: pāḷaiyam, ‘fort’, ‘camp’, ‘cantonment’. The Rajus, a Telugu speaking community, migrated here from Andhra Pradesh following the collapse of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 17thC. They...
Guj: રાજકોટ rājakōṭa ‘Raju’s Fort’ -City/District, Gujarat From Raju and Skt/Hin: koṭa, ‘fortress’ Vibhaji Jadeja (of the Thakur Jadeja Rajput dynasty which ruled Kutch from the 16thC to Independence) founded Rajkot in 1610. The city was presented to Raju Sandhi...
Hin: राजसमन्द rājasamand ‘Raj Lake’ [Rajsamudra] – City/District, Rajasthan From: Skt/Hin: samudra/samand(ar), ‘sea’, ‘ocean’. Rajsamand is named after an artificial lake created here in the 17th century by Rana Raj Singh of Mewar. The lake, at the foot of...
Tam: இராமநாதபுரம் irāmanātapuram ‘Lord Rama’s Town’ [Ramnad] Town, Tamil Nadu From Rama; Skt: nātha, ‘lord’, ‘master’; and puram, ‘town’, ‘city’. Ramnad has traditionally included the Hindu holy island city of Rameswaram with its ornate multi-pillared...
Mal: രാമനാട്ടുകര rāmanāṭṭukara ‘Rama’s Riverbank’ Town, Kerala From Rama, the hero of the Ramayana epic and Mal: āṟu/āṟṟu, ‘river’; and kara, ‘shore’, ‘riverside’. Ramanattukara sits on the southern bank of 169km Chaliyar river which flows into the sea at Beypore....
Ben: রাণাঘাট rāṇāghāṭa ‘Red Ghat’ City, West Bengal From Ben: rāṅā, ‘red’, ‘scarlet’; and ghāṭa, ‘landing-stage (on riverbank)’, ‘quay’. Ranaghat is famous for flowers, flower gradens, flower markets, floriculture and handloom. Possibly this lent the city it a bit...
Hin: रणकपुर ranakapur ‘Rana’s Town’ Village/Temple Complex, Rajasthan From Rana K(umbha) and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. Ranakpur has a stunning 15thC Jain temple complex with 1,444 intricately carved marble pillars (each one unique) dedicated to Adinath, the first...
Kan: ರಾಣೇಬೆನ್ನೂರು rāṇēbennūru ‘Queen’s Town’ City, Karnataka (Kar) From Skt/Pkt: rājṇī/rāṇī, ‘queen’; Kan: rāṇē(ben), ‘queen’; and ūr/ūru, ‘town’, ‘village’. The ‘ben(n)’ insert appears in two other towns: Santhebennur, Motebennur and there are three more Bennurs;...
‘City of Joy’ Monument/Palace, Assam From Asm: ranga, ‘joy’, ‘pleasure’; and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. Rangpur, founded in 1707, was the fourth capital of the Ahom kingdom and its military base. It fell into rebel hands towards the end of the century but by the...
Tam: இராணிப்பேட்டை irāṇippēṭṭai ‘Queen’s Suburb’ Town/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: irāṇi , ‘queen’; and pēṭṭai, ‘suburb (of fort)’, ‘village near a market town’. Local songs and plays commemorate the valour of Desingh Raj. In 1771 the young prince (he was only...
Mar: रत्नागिरी ratnāgirī ‘Jewel Mountain’ City/District, Maharashtra Mar: ratna, ‘jewel’, ‘gem’; and Mar: girī, ‘hill’, ‘mountain’. Ratnagiri, nicknamed the ‘Jewel of the Konkan coast’, is a port city and fort with historical importance. The cliff -top Ratnadurg...
Ritchie’s Archipelago is a group of small islands which form part of the Andamans. The main islands are: Havelock Island – 92.2 sq. km Henry Lawrence Island – 54.7 sq. km John Lawrence Island – 34.8 sq. km Peel Island – 23.7 sq. km Wilson...
Kan: ರಾಬರ್ಟಸನ್ಪೇಟ್ rābarṭasanpēṭ ‘Robertson Suburb’ Town, Karnataka From Robertson and Kan: pete, ‘town’, ‘suburb’, ‘market’ [Tam: pēṭṭai]. Robertsonpete was built and designed in 1902 to accommodate the population overspill from the Kolar Gold Fields....
Guj: સાબરકાંઠા sābarakāṇṭhā ‘Bank of the Sabaramati River’ District, Gujarat From sabar(mati) and Guj: kantha, ‘bank’, ‘shore’. Both the Sabarmati river and the Tropic of Cancer run through Sabarkantha district. The Capital/HQ of the District is at Himatnagar. For...
Guj: સાબરમતી sābaramatī ‘Ravine River’ -River, Gujarat Rajasthan From Skt: śvabhra, ‘ravine’, ‘chasm’; and Skt: mati, ‘carrying’, ‘bearing’. The Sabarmati has a rich and fertile east bank but a barren west bank pitted with deep ravines. This 371km river originates in...
Asm: শদিয়া śadiẏā ‘City of Sathyakanarayana’ [Sadhayapuri] Town, Assam This is an abbreviation of Sadhyaka-narayana -pur, the city of 14thC King Sathyakanarayana. Sadiya was the Chutia Kingdom’s third capital. It was founded in the 13thC and lasted through until...
Tam: சேலம் sēlam ‘Mountain (City)’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: cayilam/śailam, ‘mountain’. Salem is situated at the foot of the Shevaroy Hills and his surrounded by mountains in all directions: Nagaramalai, Jarugumalai Kanjamalai and Godumalai. Salem dates...
Kon: सांकौले saṅkaulē ‘Shell Village’ – Town From Mar: śaṅkha, ‘conch or other univalve shell’; and Kan: halli/valli →auli, ‘village’, ‘hamlet’. Shells were a useful resource for limewash, made by crushing, burning, and mixing the shells with water...
Mar: सांगली sāṅgalī ‘Six Lanes’ [Sahagalli] – City/District, Maharashtra From Mar: sahā, ‘six’; and Mar: gallī, ‘lane’, ‘alley’. The city’s original name probably describes the city’s earliest street layout. The modern District is all sugar, spice and...
Kon: संगेम saṅgēma ‘Confluence’ [Sangampura/Sangam] – City From Mar/Skt: saṅgama/saṅgam, ’meeting’, ‘union’, ‘confluence (of rivers)’. Sanguem is the meeting point of the Sanguem/Selaulim, Zuari and Uguem rivers. The Selaulim river flows into the Selaulim Dam, a...
Kon: संकुएलिम sankuelim ‘Conch Village’ [Sankhali] From Mar: śaṅkha, ‘conch (or other univalve) shell’; and Kan: halli/valli →oli, ‘village’. The conch shell is used for pouring water over temple idols and as a horn (usually blown in battle or at sacrifices). In Hindu...
Mar: सातारा sātārā ‘Seven Stars’ -City/District, Maharashtra From Mar: sāta, ‘seven’; Mar: tārā, ’star’. The seven ‘stars’ are the seven mountains (and five forts, possibly seven) surrounding the city (Ajinkyatara, Sajjangad, Yawateshwar, Jarandeshwar, Nakdicha...
Guj: સૌરાષ્ટ્ર saurāṣṭra ‘Sun Kingdom’ Region, Gujarat From Skt: surya, ‘sun (worship)’, ‘solar’, ‘celestial’; and Skt/Pkt: rāṣṭra, ‘kingdom’, ‘region’. Saurashtra is the main, southern peninsula of Gujarat and includes eleven of its districts and one-third of its...
Hin: सवाई माधोपुर savā’ī mādhōpūra ‘Sawai Madho’s City’ -City/District, Rajasthan This is a planned city, built in the 18thC by Sawai Madho Singh I, a Jaipur maharaja. Ranthambore National Park, only 7km away, was originally called the Sawai Madhopur Game...
The ‘Seven Sisters’ are a family of seven states on the North Eastern Region (NER) of India: Arunachal Pradesh (ArP), Assam (Asm), Manipur (Man), Meghalaya (Meg), Mizoram (Miz), Nagaland (Nag), Tripura (Tri). Sikkim is usually included as a brother state....
Hin: शाहपुरा shāhapurā ‘Shah Jahan’s City’ -Town, Rajasthan From Shah Jahan and and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. The Phulia Estate was given to Sujan Singh in 1629 in recognition of his services to the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan. He immediately renamed it after his...
Kan: ಶಿವಮೊಗ್ಗ śivamogga ‘Shiva Lane’ [Shimoga] City/District, Karnataka From Kan: mukku/mogge, ‘lane’ [Tam: mukku, ‘lane’, ‘corner’, ‘junction’]. There are no shortage of alternatives, many of which have myths to accompany them: Shiva-Mukha [Skt/Kan: mukha/moga,...
Kan: ಶ್ರವಣಬೆಳಗೊಳ śravaṇabeḷagoḷa ‘Monk’s White Pond’ Town, Karnataka From Skt: śramaṇa, ‘ascetic’, ‘mendicant’, ‘(Buddhist or Jain) monk’; Kan: beḷ/veḷ, ‘bright’, shining’, ‘white’; and koḷa/koḷahe, ‘pond’. This is the site of the 18m, 10thC Gommateshwara...
Hin: शिमला shimala ‘Shyamala Mata’ [Simla, Shyamala]- City, Hill Station, Capital, Himachal Pradesh Shimla city gets its name from Shyamala Mata, an incarnation of the goddess Kali. The Kali Bari temple is on Bantony Hill. The state government recently...
Guj: સિધ્ધપુર sidhdhapura ‘Siddhraj’s City’ [Sristhal] -Town, Gujarat From Siddhraj and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. Siddhpur was historically known as Sristhal [from Skt: sri, ‘holy’, ‘sacred’; and Skt: sthala, ‘mound’]. The Rudra Mahalaya complex of temples...
Asm: শিলচর śilac(h)ara ‘Stone Bank’ City, Assam From Asm: śilā, ‘stone’; char, ‘(river) bank’. Silchar is the second largest city in Assam, famous for tea cultivation. Indira Gandhi called it the ‘Island of Peace’ during a time when it was a beacon of stability in a...
Ben: শিলিগুড়ি śiliguṛi ‘Rocky Place’ City, West Bengal. Ben: śilā, ‘stone’, ‘rock’; (Ben)/Dra: guri, ‘place’. Siliguri is the third largest city in West Bengal, only 35km from its twin Jalpaiguri. Historically it has been at the crossroads between Nepal, Sikkim,...
Mar: सिंधुदुर्ग sindhudurga ‘Sea Fort’ -Fort/District, Maharashtra. From Mar: sindhu, ‘ocean’, ‘sea’; durga, ‘fort’. Sindhudurg is a fort built on a small island off the coast of Malvan by Shivaji Maharaj, the 17thC founder of the Maratha Empire. The fort was built...
Hin: सिरोही sirōhī ‘End of the Desert’ -City.District Rajasthan From Hin: sir, ‘head’, ‘end’; and Raj: rōhī, ‘jungle’, ‘desert’. Rao Sobhaji founded the town of Shivpuri in the 15thC on Siranwa Hill. Later, his son Sehastramal built a fort on the same hill. The fort...
Tam: சிவகாசி sivakāci ‘Shiva’s City of Light’ City, Tamil Nadu From S(h)iva; and Kas(h)i, ‘Varanasi, (City of) Light [Skt: kāśī, ‘light’, ‘splendour’]. Harikesari Parakkirama, a 16thC Pandya king, went to Kasi (Varanasi) to fetch a lingam for a new...
(Hin): शहीद द्वीप śahīd dvīp ‘Martyr’s Island’ [Neill Island] From Skt: shahīd, ‘martyr’; and Skt: dvīpa, ‘ island’. James George Smith Neill was a British soldier who was promoted to the rank of Colonel during the 1857-9 Indian Rebellion . He is infamous for...
‘Shyllong’ City/Capital, Meghalaya From Lei Shyllong, a Khasi god. Shillong Peak (U Lum Shyllong) is the highest mountain in Meghalaya. Its name comes from the Khasi god, Lei Shyllong who is said to live on the mountain. Khasis still perform rituals and ceremonies...
Hin: सीकर sīkar ‘Shekha’s Estate’ [Thikana Sikar, Shekhawati] – City/District, Rajasthan From Shekha and Skt: ṭhikānā, ‘estate’, ‘region’. Maha Rao Shekha (a.k.a. Shaikha) was a 15th-C chieftain. The Shekhawati or Thikana Sikar region (which includes Sikar,...
‘Shiva Village’ From S(h)iva or Skt: siṃha, ‘lion’; and Kan: halli/valli →oli, ‘village’. The modern riverside town has dozens of churches and chapels – but no Shiva temple and no lions. For related place names see Indian Place names and Goa place...
Sir Hugh Henry Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn (1801–1885), was a British Army officer who eventually rose to the rank of Field Marshal and Commander-in-Chief of the British army in India. In 1858 he commanded troops in important victories at Jhansi, Lahore and Gwalior...
Asm: শিৱসাগৰ śivasāgara ‘Shiva’s Ocean’ [Sibsagar] City/District, Assam From Shiva; and Skt: sāgar, ‘ocean, ‘sea’. The city gets its name from the big lake in the city centre. Sivasagar’s previous name was Rangpur (see above) and it was the Ahom capital during the...
‘(Our Lady of) Succour’ From Por: soccoro, ‘succour’, ‘help’. The Nossa Senhora do Soccorro church in Bardez Taluka was built in 1667 and restored in 1763. The village of Serula, of which it was once part, was split into four...
Mar: सोलापूर sōlāpūra ‘Millet City’ [Sonnalage/Sonnalagi, Sonalpur] – City/District, Maharashtra From Kol: sonna/sonnal, ‘maize’, ‘great millet’ [Tam: sōḷam, soṉṉal; Skt: yavanāla]. Kolami is a Dravidian language spoken in Telangana and Maharashtra; this...
Hin: श्रीगंगानग śrīgaṅgānagara ‘Ganga Singh’s City’ – City/District, Rajasthan From Sri Ganga (Singh) and Hin/Skt: nagar, ‘city’. Sri Ganganagar is a planned city named after Shri Ganga Singh Bahadur (1880–1943), Maharaja of Bikaner. The...
(Hin): श्रीनगर śrīnagar ‘Auspicious City’ City, Capital, Jammu & Kashmir From Skt: śrī, ‘auspicious’, ‘radiant’, ‘prosperous’; and Skt: nagar ‘city’ The name also suggesta a connection with the goddess...
Kan: ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಪಟ್ಟಣ śrīraṅgapaṭṭaṇa ‘Sri Ranga City’ [Seringapatnam] Temple Town, Karnataka From Sri Ranga, ‘(name for) Vishnu’; and Kan: paṭṭaṇam, ‘(port/coastal) town’, ‘city’. The city is named after the 10thC Sri Ranganthaswamy temple. Sri Ranga(natha) is the the...
Mal: സുൽത്താൻ ബത്തേരി sulttān battēri ‘Tipu Sultan’s Battery’ [Ganapathivattam] Town, Kerala Tipu Sultan, ‘Tiger of Mysore’ and ruler of the Mysore Kingdom, used the 13thC Jain Temple here as an artillery and ammunition dump. The original name refers to the...
Guj: સુરત surat ‘Sun City’ [Surajpur/Suryapur] -City/District, Gujarat From Skt: surya, ‘sun’; and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. The city was founded in 1510 by Malik Gopi (a merchant and local governor), who built the Gopi Tank (lake/reservoir) in 1516 and named the...
Guj: સુરેન્દ્રનગર surēndranagara ‘Surendra’s City’ [Wadhwan] -Town/District, Gujarat From Surendrasinhji and Skt: nagar, ‘city’. Wadhwan was founded in 1630. It became a Princely state under the British in 1807. Surendrasinhji Jorawarsinhji, its last king, signed its...
(Hin/Skt): स्वराज द्वीप svarāj dvīp ‘Independence Island’ [Havelock Island] From Skt: svarāj, ‘self-rule’, ‘independence’; and Skt: dvīpa, ‘ island’. Sir Henry Havelock was a British General famous for recapturing Kanpur (Cawnpore) during the 1857 Indian Rebellion. He...
Kon: तालेइगाओ tālē’igāō ‘Tank Village’ From Kon: taḷeñ, ‘small tank’, ‘lake’; and Skt: grāma→Mar/Kon: gaon/gaun, ‘village’. Under the Portuguese Taleigão was the ‘paddy granary’ of Goa with field after field under rice cultivation. For related place...
Mal: തളിപ്പറമ്പ് taḷippaṟamp ‘Temple Ground’ Town, Kerala From Mal: taḷi, ‘temple’; or taḷika, ‘plate’; and paṟanpu, ‘terraced ground’, ‘higher ground’, ‘orchard’. The plate has its own tale which is also the legend of the founding of the...
Ben: তমলুক tamaluka ‘Copper (port)’ [Tamralipta, Tamolika, Tamralipti, Tamoluk] -Town, West Bengal. Tamluk is the HQ of the Purba Medinipur district. Tamluk is the site of the ancient city variously known as Tamralipta or Tamralipti dating from the 3rd...
‘Tap(t)i River’ -River Gujarat Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra The Tapti (or Tapi) is a 724 km river that flows from Multai (near Nagpur, Madhya Pradesh), through Maharashtra and Gujarat and into the Arabian Sea at Hazira (near Surat). The river is named after the goddess...
Tam: தென்காசி teṉkāci ‘Southern Varanasi’ Town/District, Tamil Nadu Tam: ten, ’south’ and Kas(h)i, ‘Varanasi, (City of) Light [Skt: kāśī, ‘light’, ‘splendour’]. Parakraman, a 15thC Pandyan king, had a dream in which Lord Siva told him to build him to match the...
Asm:তেজপুৰ tējapura ‘City of Blood’ City, Assam Asm/Ben: tez/tej, ‘blood’[Skt: śōṇita]; and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. Tezpur is situated in Sonitpur, a District with which it shares its original name. Bana, the arrogant thousand-armed king and ardent devotee of...
‘Upper Village’ Town, Kerala From Mal: tala, ‘head’, ‘top’; and c(h)ēri, ‘colony’, ‘settlement’, ‘village’ ‘Top’ could mean ‘upper’ or on ‘higher ground’. Thalassery if famous for its cake (Kerala’s first bakery), cricket (first place in...
Mar: ठाणे ṭhāṇē ‘Place’ [Thana, Tanna] – City/District, Maharashtra From Skt: sthāna, ‘place’ or Mar: ṭhāṇēm, ‘post’, ‘station’. Mumbai was originally a group of seven islands. North of these islands was a larger island called Salsette...
Tam: தஞ்சாவூர் tañcāvūr ‘City of Refuge’ [Tanjore] City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: tañcam, ‘refuge’, ‘protection’; and Tam: ūr, ‘village’, ‘town’. The Chola Empire dominated South India and beyond from 9-13thC and Thanjavur was its capital for most of that...
Mal: തേക്കടി tēkkaṭi ‘Teak Forest’ Town, Kerala From Mal: tēkku, ‘teak’ [Tectona grandis]; and kāṭu, ‘forest’, ‘jungle’. Teak is a wood valued for its toughness and water resistance. Thekkady is near Periyar National Park, a wildlife sanctuary with dense forest and...
Mal: തിരുരങ്ങാടി tiruraṅ(k)āṭi ‘Great Market’ [Tiruwarankad] Town, Kerala From Mal: tiru, ‘eminent’, ‘prosperous’; and aṅkāṭi/aṅgaḍi, ‘bazaar’, ‘market’. Tirurangad was the site of two important events: (1) The Battle of Tirurangadi (December, 1790): a series of...
Tam: திருவையாறு tiruvaiyāṟu ‘Five Rivers’ Town, Tamil Nadu From Tam: tiru, ‘eminent’, ‘prosperous’; aintu, ‘five’; and āṟu, ’river’. Thiruvaiyuru sits in the middle of three parallel rivers and their tributaries: Kollidam, Kaveri (+Kudamurutti) and Vennar (+Vatar)....
Mal: തിരുവല്ല tiruvalla ‘Sri Vallabha’ Town, Kerala From Sri Vallabha and Mal: tiru ‘eminent’, ’holy’, ‘auspicious’, ‘prosperous’; Thiruvalla is named after its temple. This ancient temple is dedicated to Sree Vallabha, Lord Vishnu [Skt: vallabha...
Mal: തൊടുപുഴ toṭupuḻā ‘Stream River’ Town, Kerala From Mal: tōṭu, ‘water-course’, ‘rivulet’, ‘stream’; and puḻa/puzha, ‘river’. The stream became a river and the river became a town. Thodupuzha has an agricultural economy based on rubber and a wide...
Tam: தூத்துக்குடி tūttukkuṭi ‘Wetlands Settlement’ [Tuticorin] City/District Tamil Nadu From Tam: tiruttu , ‘cultivated wet land’, ‘paddy field’, ‘reclaimed land’; and Tam: kudi, ‘settlement’, ‘colony’. This suggests that Thootukudi could have been built...
Mal: തൃക്കാക്കര trikkākkara ‘Land of the Holy Foot’ Town, Kerala From Mal: tiru, ‘holy’, ‘auspicious’; kāl, ‘leg’, ‘foot’; and kara, ‘land’, ‘place’, ‘shore’. Thrikkakara Temple is dedicated to Vamana, the dwarf incarnation of Vishnu. The myth told here (and at the...
Mal: തൃശ്ശൂര് tr̥śśūr ‘City of Shiva’ [Trichur] City/District, Kerala From Mal: tiru ‘eminent’, ’holy’, ‘auspicious’, ‘prosperous’; Siva; peru/pēr, ‘great’, ‘large’; and ūr, ‘town’, ‘city’. Trichur is an English corruption of Thrissur which is a Malayalam corruption...
Asm: তিনিচুকীয়া tinasukiẏā ‘Three-cornered Tank’ [Bengmora] City/District, Assam From Asm: tini, ‘three’; kōṇa, ‘corner’; and pukhuraī, ‘tank’. Bengmora was the capital of the Motok kingdom which rebelled against the Ahom kings. It was founded by...
Kon: तेरेखोल tērēkhōla ‘Steep Bank’ [Terekhol] From Mar: tīra, ‘bank’; and Mar: khōla, ‘deep’. Tiracol is physically separated from Goa by the Terekhol/Tiracol River and a ferry ride. It is geographically part of Maharastra but politically, culturally and...
Tam: திருச்சிராப்பள்ளி tiruccirāppaḷḷi ‘Holy Rock Town’ [Trichy, Trichinopoly] City/District Tamil Nadu From Tam: tiru, ‘holy’, ‘sacred’; cilā/cilai, śilā. ‘stone’, ‘rock’; and paḷḷi, ‘village’. A 16thC inscription (1520) records the name as Tiru-śśilla-paḷḷi. ...
Tam: திருமங்கலம் tirumaṅkalam ‘Prosperous Land’ Town, Tamil Nadu From Tam: tiru, ‘prosperous’, ‘eminent’, ‘auspicious’; and mankalam, ‘agricultural tract’, ‘fertile country’, ‘prosperous land’. In loan words Skt: mangalam has a similar meaning to Tam:...
Tam: திருநெல்வேலி tirunelvēli ‘Paddy Field’ [Tinnevelly, Nellai] City/District Tamil Nadu From Tam: tiru, ‘prosperous’, ‘eminent’, ‘auspicious’; and nel , ‘paddy’; Tam: vēli, ‘field’, ‘enclosure’, ‘land’. Tirunelveli has a history dating back at least two...
Tam: திருப்பூர் tiruppūr ‘Holy City’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: tiru, ‘holy’, ‘eminent’, ‘auspicious’; and Skt: puram, ‘town’, ‘city’. Tiruppur has temples dating back to the Cholas and Pandyas including the 10thC Sukreeswarar Temple. Tiruppur’s main claim...
Mal: തിരൂര് tirūr ‘Prosperous Town’ Town, Kerala From Mal: tiru ‘eminent’, ’holy’, ‘auspicious’, ‘prosperous’; and ūr, ‘town’, ‘city’. The modern city earns its keep from fish, coconuts, betel leaves and electronics. The Tirur Betel Leaf has its own GI Tag (a...
Tam: திருவண்ணாமலை tiruvaṇṇāmalai ‘Holy Red Mountain’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: tiru, ‘holy’, ‘eminent’, ‘auspicious’; aṇṇā/aruṇa, ‘red’, ‘(colour of the) dawn’; and malai, ‘mountain’, ‘hill’. Aruṇācala, the Red Mountain [Tam: acala(m), ‘mountain’] is...
Kon: तिसवाडी tisavāḍī ‘Thirty Settlements’ – Tehsil/Taluka/Sub-district From Mar/Kon: tīsa, ‘thirty’; and Mar/Skt: vāda/vāti ‘colony’, ‘settlement’. According to legend (and there must be some historical basis to this) the Saraswat Brahmins were the first wave...
Hin: टोंक tonk Town/District, Rajasthan (1) Taank/Tak/Tak is a Jat clan associated with the ancient tribe of Nagas. The name Tonk, dating from ancient times, may originate with them. (2) Stories tell that Raja Man Singh, king of Jaipur, conquered Tari and Tokra...
Historic Kingdom and Region, Kerala Tiruvalumkotu→tiruvitamkotu. From Tam: tiru ‘eminent’, ‘prosperous’; vāḻum , ‘prosperity’, ‘happiness’; and kōṭu, ‘(fortified) place’, ‘stronghold’. The kingdom of Travancore was named after Thiruvithamkodu in present-day...
Tam: திருவல்லிக்கேணி tiruvallikkēṇi ‘Holy Lily Pond’ Locality (Chennai), Tamil Nadu From Tam: t(h)iru, ‘sacred’, ‘auspicious’; alli, ‘water lily (the plant and the flower)’; and kēṇi, ‘pond’,...
Kan: ತುಮಕೂರು tumakūru ‘Mangosteen Town’ [Tumkur] City/District, Karnataka From Kan: tumaki/tumari/tumbari, ‘wild mangosteen tree’ [Diospyros peregrina/Diospyros embryopteris]; or tumbe/tumbi, ‘Ceylon slitwort’ [Leucas zeylanica]. The modern city is a food processing...
‘Durama Imbama’ [Dura] City, Meghalaya From Durama Imbama, a Garo god. Tura is in the foothills of the Tura Hills. Tura peak (872m) is where the Garo goddess Durama Imbama lives. Tura is in the West of Meghalaya and is closer to Assam, Guwahati, West Bengal and...
Hin: उदयपुर udayapur ‘Udai Singh’s City’ City/District, Rajasthan From Udai (Singh) and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’. Udai Singh founded Udaipur in 1558. He had been advised that a Newar capital built here would be invincible. Udaipur was the capital of Mewar state...
Tam: உதகமண்டலம் utakamaṇṭalam ‘Single Stone Settlement’ [Ooty, Ootacamund] City, Tamil Nadu From Tam: oṟṟai, ‘single’; kal, ‘stone’, ‘rock’; Tod/Kot: moḏ/manḏ, ‘Toda village’. The modern Ooty was founded in the 19thC on the site of a Toda mand. The British used it...
Kan: ಉಡುಪಿ uḍupi ‘Elevated Village’ [Odipu] City, Karnataka From Tlu: odi, ‘elevated’, ‘high’; and ipu/apu/ape, ‘village’, settlement’. Tulu word ‘Odipu ‘(Odi+pu) means an elevated village. Udipi is known as the temple city. Its most famous one is the 13thC Sri...
Mar: उल्हासनगर ulhāsanagara ‘City of Joy’ -City, Maharashtra From Mar: ulhāsa, ‘joy’, ‘enthusiasm’; Skt: nagar, ‘town’, ‘city’ Following Partition in 1947 Kalyan Camp, a disused military barracks, was settled by Hindu...
Mal: ഉപ്പള uppaḷa ‘Saltpan’ Town, Kerala From Mal: uppu/uppaḷam, ‘salt/saltpan’, ‘saline land’. Uppala is famous for its beaches, shops and busy town centre. For related place names see Indian Place names and Kerala place names. ...
Guj: વડોદરા vaḍōdarā ‘Banyan Tree’ [Chandanavati, Virakshetra/Viravati, Vadapatra, Baroda] -City/District, Gujarat From Guj: vaḍa/vaṭa, ‘banyan’; and SKT: taru, ‘tree’, ‘hollow of a tree’ or Skt: patraka, ‘leaves’. The town was previously called Chandanavati (after...
Kon: वगाटर vagātar ‘Tiger Spring’ From Mar: vāgha, ‘tiger’ [Hin: bāgh]; and Mar: thārā, ‘place’, ‘abode’. This was probably a favoured watering hole for tigers roaming through the thick forests of the Western Ghats. For related place names see Indian Place...
Mal: വൈക്കം vaikkaṁ ‘Deposits’ Town, Kerala From Mal: vaikkam, ‘deposits’, ‘alluvial ground’ This suggests that the sea has receded over time leaving alluvial deposits in its wake (see also Vechur/Vechoor (Ker)): Places situated on...
Kon: वाळपोई vāḷapōī ‘Brook Village’ From Mar: vhāḷa, ‘rivulet’, ‘brook’, ‘stream’; Skt/Mar: palli→poli/poi, ‘village’, ‘hamlet’. Some suggest the stream is on the other side [Mar: pailā, ‘other, opposite, farther side or bank’] rather than this side! For related place...
Guj: વલસાડ valasāḍa ‘Banyans’ [Bulsar(a), Vadsal] – City/District Gujarat From Guj/Skt: vaḍa/vaṭa, ‘banyan’; and Guj/Mar: sal, ‘full (of)’, ‘abundant’. Valsad was previously called Vadsal and Bulsara. It shares the name Bulsara with Freddie Mercury (originally...
Tam: வாணியம்பாடி vāṇiyampāṭi ‘Trading Town’ Town, Tamil Nadu From Tam: vāṇikam/vāṇiyam, ‘trade’, ‘commerce’; and Tam: pāṭi , ‘town’, village’. Leather is the mainstay of Vaniyambadi’s economy: it has more than 150 tanneries and manufactures a wide range of leather...
Mal: വർക്കല varkkala ‘Line of Rocks’ Town, Kerala From Mal: vara, ‘line’, ‘furrow’, ‘straight’; and kal, ‘rock’. Varkala has a unique cliff formation of red sandstone, in contrast to the the rest of coastal Kerala which is flat. The cliffs are a protected...
Vasco da Gama is the HQ, city and capital of Mormugão taluka and sits on the furthest point of its peninsula. Vasco da Gama was a 15-16thC Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea (1498). He completed two return voyages to India, and on the...
Mal: വടകര vaṭakara ‘North Bank’ [Badagara] Town, Kerala From Mal: vaḍa, ‘north’; and kara, ‘shore’, ‘riverside’. Vatakara lies on the northern shore of the Kuttiyadi river. For related place names see Indian Place names and Kerala place names. ...
Mal: വെച്ചൂർ veccūr ‘Alluvial Village’ Village, Kerala From Mal: vaikkam/vekka ‘deposits’, ‘alluvial ground’; and ūr, ‘town’, ‘city’. The name suggests [see Vaikom (Ker)] that this was originally a seashore that has receded over...
Tam: வேலூர் vēlūr ‘Babul Tree Town’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: vēl , ‘babul tree’ [Vachellia nilotica]; and ūr, ‘village’, ‘town’. The babul, a thorny tree with yellow flowers, is also known as the gum arabic, thorn mimosa, Egyptian acacia or...
Kan: ವಿಜಯನಗರ vijayanagara ‘Victory City’ Historic site/District, Karnataka From Skt: vijaya, ‘conquest’, ‘victory’; and nagar, ‘city’. The District was named after the Vijayanagar Empire which dominated South India from the 13thto the 16thC from its capital at...
Kan: ವಿಜಯಪುರ vijayapura ‘Victory Town’ [Bijapur] City/District, Karnataka Bijapur. From Skt: vijaya, ‘conquest’, ‘victory’; and pur, ‘fort’, ‘city’. The city was established in the 10th-11th centuries by the Kalyani Chalukyas. It was captured by the Bahmani Sultanate...
Tam: விழுப்புரம் viḻuppuram ‘Great Town’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: viḻu/vizhu, ‘great’, ‘excellent’. wealthy’; and puram, ‘town. ‘village’ Sugarcane is an important commercial crop in Viluppuram...
H.M.S. Viper was the ship Lieutenant Blair used to survey the islands in 1789. Following a storm it was shipwrecked close to the island. The island was the site of a penal colony and prison built in 1864-7. It was used for incarcerating and executing convicts and...
Tam: விருதுநகர் virutunakar ‘Victory Town’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: virutu , ‘banner’, ‘trophy’, ‘badge of victory’; and Skt: nagar, ‘city’. The town clearly commemorates a victory of some sort. But it is not clear what it was or when. Legends tell...
Mar: वर्धा vardhā ‘Abundant (River)’ -River/City/District, Maharashtra From Skt: vardha, ‘increasing, bringing prosperity’. The 528 km Wardha river dominates the northern, western and southern sectors of the district. It flows from the Satpura range and eventually...
Mar: वाशीम vāśīma ‘Calf Grove’ [Vatsagulma, Vachchoma] -City/District, Maharashtra From Skt: vatsa, ‘calf’, ‘yearling’; Skt: gulma ‘clump or cluster of trees’, ‘grove’. Vashima is derived from Vachchhoma, the Prakrit corruption of Vatsagulma [Vatsagulma...
Mal: വയനാട് vayanāṭ ‘Ricefield Country’ District, Kerala From Mal: vayal, ‘rice-field’; and nāṭu’, ‘country’. Wayanad is famous for its varieties of rice: some of which grow only here. But rice is in decline. 40,000 hectares of land was under rice cultivation in the...
‘Williamson’s Town’ [Simsanggre] Town, Meghalaya Williamson Ampang Sangma (1919 – 1990), a Garo leader, was a pioneer in the struggle for Meghalaya state and its founding Chief Minister. He was born in Baghmara and fought his whole life for the rights and autonomy...
Mar: यवतमाळ yavatamāḷa ‘Barley Plain’ City/District, Maharashtra From Mar: yava, ‘barley’ [Hordeum hexastichon]; and māḷa, ‘uncultivated plain’. This barley can grow to 1.2m and can be harvested from the wild for food and raw materials. Another suggestion is ‘row of...
