Bhubaneswar: In a significant move to preserve Odia linguistic heritage and cultural identity, the Odisha Cabinet on Friday approved the correction of colonial-era distorted English spellings for 64 locations across 26 districts.
Several places in the state continue to be officially recorded with anglicised or misspelt names that do not align with Odia pronunciation and etymology. Examples include “Aul” instead of the original “Aali” and “Balasore” for “Baleshwar”.
Chief Minister Mohan Majhi has highlighted that such distortions undermine Odia Asmita (cultural identity) and are inconsistent with the state’s phonetic traditions.
Following the Chief Minister’s directions, all District Collectors were tasked with identifying such places and submitting detailed reports. Inputs were also received from public representatives and citizens across Odisha.The state government subsequently formed a high-level committee chaired by noted Odia litterateur Dr Pratibha Ray to review the proposals. The committee’s recommendations were made public for one month to invite feedback, after which a final list of revised English spellings was prepared.
With Cabinet approval secured, the Odisha government will now issue a Gazette Notification and formally request the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to direct central agencies—including the Survey of India, Indian Railways, Department of Posts, Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India, and other relevant ministries—to update their official records accordingly.
The initiative is aimed at restoring the historical authenticity and linguistic accuracy of place names, thereby strengthening Odisha’s cultural identity, an official release said.
