Why was Bombay renamed to Mumbai?

Answer 1

it was all a political game. When the BJP won the elections, they wanted to keep in pro hindu. mambadevi is a famous hindu temple in mumbai. Bombay on the other hand was an english name kept by the british.

Answer 2

Wondered this myself. I believe that is was to shake off their colonial past as Bombay was named by the British. However, the Portuguese were there first and it is also my understanding that Bombay / Mumbai derives from the term 'Good Bay' in the Portuguese language. If this is true then Bombay / Mumbai still has a colonial name. Is that a bad thing anyway as colonialism is a huge part of the city's history?

Answer 3

Officially, in 1995. That year, the right-wing Hindu nationalist party Shiv Sena won elections in the state of Maharashtra and presided over a coalition that took control of the state assembly. After the election, the party announced that the port city had been renamed after the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, the city's patron deity. Federal agencies, local businesses, and newspapers were ordered to adopt the change.

Shiv Sena's leadership pushed for the name change for many years prior to 1995. They argued that "Bombay" was a corrupted English version of "Mumbai" and an unwanted legacy of British colonial rule.

http://www.slate.com/id/2145650

Answer 4

Mumbai was the original name of the city, before the British Empire colonised India in the 18 century.

Answer 5

Those who say Bombay was a British name are wrong. It is Portuguese (Bom means 'good' in Portuguese). In fact, the city is now called 'Mimbai' in keeping with the old name.

Answer 6

It was named so because of fanatic feelings of Maharashtrians and nothing else. Name change brought only more difficulties than any advantage.

Answer 7

i think Mumbai was the old name, so it went back to that.

Answer 8

The name of Goddess -Mumbadevi in whose name original settlement (fishermen) was known is reverted back to.this is not new name

Answer 9

becos of the stupid indian politicans