Teen Murti Chowk will be known as 'Teen Murti Haifa Chowk' and Teen Murti Marg as 'Teen Murti Haifa Marg'
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has renamed the iconic Teen Murti Chowk and the Teen Murti Marg after the Israeli city Haifa ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country.
PM Modi is likely to visit Israel in July, which will be the first by an Indian Prime Minister,
"The Teen Murti Chowk will now be known as 'Teen Murti Haifa Chowk' and the Teen Murti Marg will be known as 'Teen Murti Haifa Marg'. The decision was taken unanimously in today's council meeting," a senior NDMC official told PTI.
The decision to rename was taken today in a meeting presided by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Nearly 900 Indian soldiers laid down their lives in liberating the Israeli port city Haifa during World War I. Every year, September 23 is celebrated as Haifa Day in India and Israel as a mark of respect to the soldiers who lost their lives in the battle and to mark the end to 400 years of the Turkish control over the city.
"The Teen Murti Chowk was named to mark the role of the three cavalry regiments. But no one knows this today. The moment people think of the Teen Murti they think of Gandhiji's monkeys. This is a wrong impression that needs to be corrected," the Ministry of Culture had earlier said.
This is the second renaming of a road approved by the NDMC within a month - and fifth in two years.
Earlier this month, ahead of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's India visit, NDMC renamed Park Street after Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
In 2015, Aurangzeb Road was renamed as APJ Abdul Kalam Road. Race Course Road, where the prime minister's residence is located, was renamed as Lok Kalyan Marg last year.
Earlier this year, the civic body had renamed Dalhousie Road as Dara Shikoh Road after the elder brother of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.