Uttar Pradesh's political and administrative map is set to gain a new name, as a town in Shahjahanpur district sheds its old identity. Jalalabad town in Shahjahanpur district will now officially be called Parshuramipuri, after the state cabinet led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cleared the proposal. Jalalabad has long been recognised as the birthplace of Lord Parshuram, and it is this identity that the new name now formally reflects.
A demand years in the making
Elected representatives and local residents of Jalalabad had been demanding for a long time that the town be renamed after Lord Parshuram. Their argument rested on the fact that ancient texts and mythological accounts prominently mention Jalalabad as the birthplace of Lord Parshuram, and that this identity deserved official recognition. Taking this long standing demand into account, the state government drew up a formal proposal, and with the cabinet's approval, Jalalabad will now be officially known as Parshuramipuri.
What the government's press release states
A press release issued by the government has laid out the full details of the decision. According to it, the town of Jalalabad, which falls under the Nagar Palika Parishad Jalalabad in Shahjahanpur district, is well known as the birthplace of Lord Parshuram and finds prominent mention in mythological texts.
The release states that elected representatives and local residents had persistently demanded that Jalalabad be renamed Parshuramipuri after Lord Parshuram. Taking this into consideration, a no objection was granted on 19.08.2025 to the proposal for renaming the town of Jalalabad, under the Nagar Palika Parishad Jalalabad area, as Parshuramipuri. Following this, final approval was given to the proposal to change the name of the town of Jalalabad, under the Nagar Palika Parishad Jalalabad area in Shahjahanpur, to Parshuramipuri.
As a result, Parshuramipuri will now appear on the map of Shahjahanpur district in place of Jalalabad, and the new name will gradually be reflected in government documents, addresses and other official records.
A state with a history of renaming towns
This is not the first time the Yogi Adityanath government has renamed a town or city in Uttar Pradesh. Allahabad was previously renamed Prayagraj, while Faizabad now goes by the name Ayodhya. Similarly, Mughalsarai was renamed Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Nagar, and Jhansi railway station is now known as Veerangana Lakshmibai Railway Station.
More recently, around 50 wards in Gorakhpur had their names changed. Among them, Miyan Bazar was renamed Maya Bazar and Alinagar was renamed Arya Nagar. In Hardoi district, Hajipur was renamed Siyarampur, while in Firozabad district, Urmura Kirar was renamed Harinagar. Seen together, the renaming of Jalalabad as Parshuramipuri fits into the same broader pattern, one in which the state government has repeatedly changed the names of towns and wards to align them with local faith, history and cultural identity.
