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Why the name of the Mughal era now? Why can’t Lucknow be kept as Lakhanpuri! If the name of Mughal Gardens is changed, then the name of Lucknow can also be changed. On 7 February 2023, Pratapgarh’s BJP MP Sangam Lal Gupta wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and CM Yogi Adityanath. The demand is clear… the name of Lucknow should be changed to Lakhanpur or Laxmanpuri. MP Sangam Lal wrote this letter just a day after the idol of Lord Laxman was installed in Lucknow.
After this letter of Sangam Lal, there was a debate whether Lucknow Can be renamed as Lakhanpur? However, this is not the first time but in every period there has been a voice for changing the name of Lucknow. In the book Historic City Lucknow, it was told that in Tretayuga, Lord Rama handed over a part of Kaushal state, 30 km from Ayodhya, to his brother Lakshmana. was named…Laxmanpuri, For the first time in the Mughal period, the mention of Lakhanpur came during the reign of Emperor Akbar. When Akbar handed over the jagir of Lakhanpur to Sheikh Abdullah of Bijnor. After the year 1775, Nawab Asafuddaula changed the name of Lakhanpur to Lucknow as soon as he assumed the throne.
In the British era, Lucknow… remained Lucknow only. After independence, the mention of Lucknow kept coming again and again in the politics of UP. Now, before the unveiling of the statue of Lord Laxman at Amausi airport, the discussion of renaming Lucknow once again has gained momentum. Let’s start with this 12 feet tall statue…
This idol of Lord Laxman is 12 feet high. Which has been installed on a 6 feet high pedestal. That is, the statue will appear about 18 feet high from the ground.
Statue of Lord Laxman installed in Lucknow, unveiling pending
There is a Global Investors Summit in Lucknow from 10 to 12 February. Big personalities from India and abroad will participate in this. In such a situation, people will be able to see the huge idol of Lord Laxman as soon as they land at Amausi airport. This idol has been installed on 6 February. The Yogi government says that it will be unveiled before the summit.
Lord Lakshman will be seen in the idol with a bow and arrow. This idol made of bronze has been made by famous sculptor Ram Sutar. Ram Sutar has been making idols for 50 years. He got the most popularity after ‘Statue of Unity’. Which is one of the tallest statues in the world with a height of 182 meters.
Demand to change the name of Lucknow intensified 24 hours after the statue was installed
24 hours had passed since the statue was installed at the airport. 7 February 2023 BJP MP Sangam Lal Gupta put forth the demand to change the name of Lucknow in front of PM, Home Minister and CM. He wrote in the letter, “Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, which according to the local belief was gifted by Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram to Ayodhya King Shri Lakshmana in Treta Yuga and for that reason it was named Lakhanpur and Lakshmanpur. But later in the 18th century, Nawab Asifuddaula Its name was changed to Lucknow, Lucknow is running in the same tradition.
“Today in a country rich in splendid cultural heritage, it seems absolutely inappropriate to point out to our future generations the slavery of the Nawabs of Lucknow by telling them stories of luxury and wastefulness even in the Amrit period. It was because of the luxurious lifestyle of inefficiency that Lord Dalhousie merged Awadh into the British Empire by doing a program. And Nawab Wajid Ali Shah had accepted British suzerainty.
UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak also reacted to this letter of MP Sangam Lal Gupta. He said, “It is well known about Lucknow that earlier it was Laxmanpuri. Now we are moving ahead according to the circumstances. We will inform everyone as the situation arises.”
After changing the name of Lucknow, another letter was written to CM Yogi. Arun Rajbhar, son of Subhaspa chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, demanded Yogi to change the name of Ghazipur. Arun wrote, “The unique role of Brahmarshi Vishwamitra is mentioned in the mythological importance of Ghazipur. For this reason, the name of Ghazipur should be changed to Vishwamitra Nagar.”
Let us now explore the history of Lucknow, know about its changed name and controversies due to religious and political reasons…
Now…
Till now you have come to know the history from ‘Laxmanpuri’ to ‘Lucknow’. What do historians have to say on this tussle over the names of Lucknow. Know this too…
Historian 1: ‘Archaeological site of Lucknow gives evidence of Laxmanpuri’
The country’s famous archaeological expert Lalit Mishra says, “The word Lucknow is made up of ‘lakhan’ and ‘au’. The word ‘lakhan’ is related to Lord Lakshmana. Whereas, ‘au’ comes from Persian. It means stop and place. Thus the city got its name Lucknow. From Lakshmanpuri to Lakshmanpuri, it does not make much difference. Because in both the names the image of Lakshman emerges.
Hulaskheda Archaeological Site in Lucknow.
According to Lalit Gupta, there are very old archaeological sites in Lucknow. Which indicate the antiquity of the city. Dadupur and Hulaskheda archaeological sites are about 22 km from Lucknow city. Excavations were done here between 1999 and 2000. After this, the remains of pottery, copper stone and iron tools were found here. His sample number was kept BS-1829.
These samples were passed through Astronautical software Planetarium for dating. It was found that the calibrated date of the remains found at the site is about 7 thousand years old. This time period touches Tretayug. That is, these remains found 22 years ago must have belonged to the period when Lucknow was actually Laxmanpuri.
Historian 2: ‘Lucknow’s existence will end if the name is changed’
Renowned historian and Lucknow Vidya Roshan Taki says, “The identity of Lucknow is not only in India but in the whole world. Here the mixed culture, Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb and brotherhood are also found in the certified history. its name for years (Lucknow, Lakhni and Lakhna) Keep changing But its real name Lucknow is famous. Changing its name will end Lucknow completely.”
Roshan Taki termed the matter of changing the name of Lucknow as just a means of polishing politics.
In the end, let us take you to that quadruped of Ramayana, in which the proof of the location of Lucknow or Laxmanpuri is found spiritually…
source-
1. Book by Dr. Shiv Bahadur Singh ‘Before the Lucknow Nawabs’.
2. Book of BJP leader Lalji Tandon ‘Untold Lucknow’.
3. research work Indology Foundation.