Gurgaon, Call Centre For Many In World, Is Renamed Gurugram

Chandigarh: The corporate hub of Haryana, Gurgaon, will now be known as Gurugram -- in a reminder of its perceived epic roots. The change in name was announced by the Manohar Lal Khattar government today, which said it was bowing to the demand of the residents.

The area, a government spokesperson said, was one where Dronacharya, the guru of the Pandavas in Mahabharat, had his ashram.  

"Gurgaon was a great center of learning, where the princes were provided education. For long, the locals have been demanding that Gurgaon be renamed as Gurugram," he said.

Minutes after the announcement, state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar took a dig at the Khattar government, saying "Are they going to change only names or will they do something for the development?"

Gurgaon, he said, is famous globally and changing its name will not serve any purpose.

The Millennium City of Haryana, home to BPO giants, has drawn media glare time and again because of its abysmal infrastructure. Its drainage system collapses every monsoon, residents complain of power and water problems and the absence of roads and public transport.

Former chief minister, Congress's BS Hooda, though supported the change of name, saying, "It's a guru's gao (village), but over the years it became Gurgaon through usage."

The Haryana government also decided to rename Mewat district as Nuh. Mewat, in fact is a geographical and cultural unit and not a town. It is spread beyond Haryana in the adjoining states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, the spokesman said.

Calling Mewat's change of name "wrong", Mr Hooda said, "Mewat embodied the spirit and identity of the area".