Push for Renaming Pune's Mohammedwadi to Mahadevwadi Gains Ground

In a significant political move, efforts to rename Mohammedwadi village, situated in Pune's Hadapsar area, to Mahadevwadi are gaining traction. Shiv Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale has formally appealed to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who also leads the Shiv Sena, to consider this change, a proposal originally raised in 1996.

The proposal, recently amplified by Shiv Sena's Pune city chief Pramod (Nana) Bhangire, highlights the enduring local sentiment and cultural heritage of the area. On social media platform X, Bhangire triumphantly announced, "Mohammedwadi will now become Mahadevwadi!!!" He emphasized that the name Mahadevwadi more appropriately mirrors the village's heritage, particularly with the presence of a historic Mahadev Temple.

Residents are backing this move wholeheartedly, arguing that the current name holds no cultural relevance and they do not know its origin. A resolution for the renaming had been passed in 1996 but was never actioned. Following Eknath Shinde's local visit and with the reiteration of this long-standing demand, there is renewed optimism that the Maharashtra Government will now act, echoing previous renamings like that of Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

(With inputs from agencies.)