Why did they change Bombay to Mumbai?

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blackgrumpycat

The name Mumbai is an eponym, etymologically derived from Mumba or Maha-Ambaâ€” the name of the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, and Aai â€” mother in Marathi. The former name Bombay had its origins in the 16th century when the Portuguese arrived in the area and called the place with various names, which would finally take on the written form Bombaim, still common in current Portuguese use. After the British gained possession in the 17th century, it was anglicised to Bombay, although it was known as Mumbai or Mambai to Marathi and Gujarati-speakers, and as Bambai in Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi. However, even Marathi and Gujarati-speakers commonly used "Bombay" when speaking in English. The name was officially changed to its Marathi pronunciation of Mumbai in 1995.

pravin s

The official name of the city Mumbai is an eponym derived from Mumba, the name of the local Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, and Aai, meaning "mother" in Marathi. Portuguese explorers named the area "Bom Bahia" in the 16th century, translating as "Good Bay" and obviously referring to the deep water harbour. This designation was gradually corrupted to "BomaÃm" and, after the British gained possession, the name was anglicised to Bombay. The name was officially changed from Bombay to Mumbai in 1995, but the former name is still popularly used in the West to refer to the city, and is still used as an alternative by many of the city's inhabitants and famous institutions.

It was changed due to pressure from some political parties powerful in Bombay. They now propose to change names of few stations and places in Bombay.

vakayil k

In 1995, the ruling party in the government of the state of Maharashtra announced that Bombay's name would be changed to its Marathi name, Mumbai.

Tthe Portuguese colony on the islands was called "Bom Bahia", meaning "Good Bay" or "Good Harbor". This colony, was given to King Charles II of England as his dowry for marrying the Portuguese princess Catherine de Braganza in 1661, at which point the name was anglicized to "Bombay".

The justification accepted by most people without question seems to be that Mumbai was the original name of some settlement in the area, so the name change was just a restoration of the original Indian name. The native Kolis had "named the island Mumbai, after their divine protectress". But all sources seem to be in agreement that there were seven islands until some point in the twentieth century, when the water between them was filled in. The seven islands inhabited by the Kolis were named Colaba, Mazagaon, Old Woman's Island, Wadala, Mahim, Parel and Matunga-Sion. "Mumbai" was a derivation of the name "Mumbadevi", a goddess worshipped by the Kolis.

The Koli settlements were named after their patron deities, and one of the settlements in Bombay was named Mumbadevi. This goddess was sometimes known by the alternate name of Mumabai, but this name does not seem to have been attached to the city as a whole by anyone other than the Marathas.

jonal

It's part of the general return to Dravidian (local) names all over India. Bombay actually means 'good English'. Mumbai is named from an Indian Goddess called Mumbe (there are various spellings,even in India) In the same way,Madras is now called Chennai. I was in both cities and also saw the monument to Mahatma Gandhi in Kaniyacumery,on the southern tip of India. In practice both the English and Indian names are used in India by both Indians and foreigners,and most people won't be offended,whichever of the two you use..

hi nikki!
it changed a few years ago- it wasn't the only city that changed.
when england took control of India, they renamed all the cities, (well not all of them, but quite a few) and now the free india is trying to remove the mark the english made on their country.

mal.nabanita

www.maharasthratourism.com

sa1

they like this name

Shilpa J

its cool ...as a website named cheapflightstomumbai.com looks better than cheapflightstobombay.com

PHP

Not change actually it is Mumbai only pronunciation was wrong

Caggy

Probably political correctness. I believe "Mumbai" is closer to the correct pronunciation.

eradicator

they changed the name to mumbai when their nationalist party bjp was ruling India, they are very conservative and ultra nationalistic, during this era they were promoting "indianism" to a pretty extreme extent

insert_ nickname_ here!

I dunno

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