New Delhi [India], February 25 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Praveen Khandelwal on Wednesday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah asking for Delhi's name to be changed to Indraprastha to honour the city's ancient history.

In the letter by Praveen Khandelwal stated, 'I am writing to draw your attention to an issue of profound historical and civilizational importance relating to the identity of our national capital, Delhi. As the capital of one of the world's oldest civilisations, it is only appropriate that the name of the city reflects its true historical roots and cultural legacy.'

'Historical literature, archaeological findings, and long-standing civilizational traditions establish that the present-day Delhi corresponds to the ancient city of Indraprastha, the grand capital established by the Pandavas as described in the epic Mahabharata. The epic describes Indraprastha as a magnificent city built on the banks of the Yamuna River, precisely matching the geographical setting of modern Delhi,' he added.

Khandelwal said that the present name Delhi does not adequately represent the ancient and original heritage of the city.

'Archaeological excavations conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India at Purana Qila have revealed ancient settlement layers dating back to around 1000 BCE, along with Painted Grey Ware pottery associated with the Mahabharata era. These findings strongly support the historical belief that the ancient city of Indraprastha once flourished at the site where Delhi stands today.'

Meanwhile, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal, while speaking to ANI, said, 'Any city is named after its culture and civilisation, so that the name reflects the city's culture and civilisation. Keeping this in mind, I have written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah today requesting that Delhi be named Indraprastha.'

'If Delhi is named Indraprastha, it directly reflects Delhi's culture, civilisation, our food habits and our language. Apart from this, I have also requested that statues of the five Pandavas be installed at a suitable place in Delhi so that this flow of culture continues in this manner for generations,' Praveen Khandelwal added.

Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday gave its approval to the proposal to change the name of Kerala to Keralam.

Briefing reporters after a meeting of the Union Cabinet, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Kerala Alteration of Name Bill will be sent to the state assembly for its approval.

The decision comes ahead of the assembly polls in the state, slated for the first half of this year. (ANI)