Bhubaneswar, June 2026: In a landmark move to preserve Odisha’s linguistic and cultural heritage, the Odisha Cabinet has approved the correction of distorted English spellings of several places across the state and the restoration of their original Odia names.
According to an official press brief, many places in Odisha continue to be identified in official English records by spellings introduced during the colonial period. Examples include “Balasore” instead of “Baleshwar” and “Angul” instead of “Anugola.” The state government believes that these spellings do not accurately reflect Odia phonetics and undermine the cultural identity and Odia Asmita of the state.
Following directions from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, district collectors, public representatives, and citizens were consulted to identify such place names. A high-level committee headed by eminent Odia litterateur Dr. Pratibha Ray was subsequently formed to examine the proposals.
After inviting public feedback for one month, the committee finalized recommendations for revising the English spellings of 64 places across 26 districts. The Cabinet formally approved the proposal on Thursday.
The Odisha Government will now send the recommendations to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, through a Gazette Notification. Central agencies, including the Survey of India, Indian Railways, Department of Posts, and the Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India, will be requested to update their official records accordingly.
Some of the Proposed Name Changes
Existing English Name
Proposed Official Spelling
Angul-Anugola
Pallahara-Palalahada
Talcher-Talacher
Bolangir-Balangir
Bangamunda-Bangomunda
Balasore-Baleshwar
Nilgiri-Nilagiri
Soro-Sora
Bargarh-Baragada
Rajborasambar-Rajbodasambar
Bonth-Banta
Boudhgarh-Boudhagada
Cuttack-Kataka
Salipur-Salepur
Baramba-Badamba
State officials said the initiative aims to restore the historical authenticity of Odisha’s place names while strengthening the preservation and promotion of the state’s rich linguistic and cultural legacy.
