Chennai: Tamil Nadu government has renamed over a 1,018 places in the state to ensure that the English names can accommodate the chaste Tamil pronunciation of these areas.
The new norms have come into force for writing Tamil place names in English in all the 37 revenue districts of Tamil Nadu. Hereafter the district Collectors will take steps for changing the names of these places through the local bodies concerned.
The decision has drawn flak for its timing, coming as it did in the middle of a pandemic. The government had, however, notified the change in names two years ago, when the Minister for Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture, Ma Foi K. Pandiarajan, declared it on the floor of the assembly.
As per the order, made available to the media now and dated April 1, the names reflecting the new English spelling were picked after a high-level expert committee considered the suggestions of District Collectors who had recommended a list of anglicised names that needed a Tamil makeover.
The names are as follows:
*Coimbatore,is now spelled as Koyampuththoor,
*Vellore is now Veeloor,
*Mylapore in Chennai is now Mayilaappoor,
*Thiruvanmiyur is now Thiruvanmiyoor,
*Sholinganallur is Solinganalloor,
*Gudalur is now Koodalloor,
*Koyembedu - Koyambedu
*Egmore - Ezhumboor
*Triplicane - Thiruvallikkeni
*Saidapet - Saithaappettai
*Dharmapuri - Tharumapuri.
*Trivandrum - Thiruvananthapuram,
For the complete list Check:
http://www.stationeryprinting.tn.gov.in/gazette/2020/14_II_1.pdf
The move has been welcomed by Tamil lovers, but has also drawn flak from netizens, who questioned the need for it amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic. So, the textile city of Coimbatore will henceforth be called Koyampuththoor, Vellore as Veeloor and Dindigul as Thindukkal, among others with the issuance of a Government Order.
(WITH INPUTS FROM PTI)
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