Odisha Government Proposes Correction of English Names of 7 Districts and 24 Places ;Reflects  accurate English

Bureau,Odishabarta

Bhubaneswar,(05/02/26):The Odisha government has initiated the process to restore the original and more accurate English transliterations of several place names across the state, aligning them closely with their authentic Odia pronunciations and spellings. This move aims to correct long-standing misspellings and distortions introduced over time, preserving the state’s linguistic, historical, and cultural heritage.

According to an official public notice and related notifications from the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, the government proposes revisions to the English names of seven districts and the transliteration of 24 places spread across 11 districts.

The changes primarily address miss-spellings or corruptions in current English renderings, replacing them with corrected versions based on the original Odia names (as listed in Annexure-A of the proposal).

Key proposed changes for districts include;

Deogarh  :- Debagarh

Khordha (also spelled Khurda) :- Khoradha

Kandhamal (sometimes Khondmal or similar) :-  Kandhamal

Balasore :-Baleshwar

Kendrapara:- Kendrapada

Keonjhar  :-  Kendujhar

Nayagarh :- Nayagada

Other places and administrative units, notable corrections encompass;

Podia (Malkangiri block) :- Padia

Reamal :- Riamal

Bolagarh :- Bolagada

Banpur :- Banapur

Jatni :-  Jatani

Angul :- Anugol

Pallahara  :- Palalahada

Athagarh :- Athagad

Salipur :- Salepur

Baramba :-  Badamba

Nilgiri :-  Nilagiri

Aul :-  Ali

Makalapara :- Mahakalapada

Barbil :- Badbil

Keonjhargarh :- Kendujhargarh

Rairakhol  :- Redhakhol

Daspalla :- Dashapalla & And others such as Phulbani (associated with Kandhamal) aligning under the broader Kandhamal correction.

The initiative follows a similar spirit to past efforts, such as the 2011 renaming of the state from “Orissa” to “Odisha” and its language from “Oriya” to “Odia,” which sought phonetic accuracy and decolonization of spellings.

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# District Name Changes