Find solution
Why did they rename Bombay into Mumbai?

Why did Bombay, India become Mumbai and when did this occur?

  • I didn't realize Mumbai was formerly Bombay until it was mentioned as "formerly Bombay" in a book I was reading. Why was the name changed. What's the reason / significance of the change? How long ago did this occur?

  • Answer:

    It was a political move. The name was officially changed to Mumbai in 1995. The right-wing Hindu nationalist party Shiv Sena won elections in the state of Maharashtra and presided over a coalition that took control of the state assembly. After the election, the party announced that the port city had been renamed after the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, the city’s patron deity. Federal agencies, local businesses, and newspapers were ordered to adopt the change. Shiv Sena’s leadership pushed for the name change for many years prior to 1995. They argued that “Bombay” was a corrupted English version of “Mumbai” and an unwanted legacy of British colonial rule. The push to rename Bombay was part of a larger movement to strengthen Marathi identity in the Maharashtra region.

Eric H at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

Name The appellation Mumbai is an eponym, etymologically derived from Mumba or Maha-Amba— the name of the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, and Aai — mother in Marathi.[3] In the 16th century, the Portuguese named the area Bom Bahai (Good Bay), later corrupted to Bomaím or Bombaim, by which it is still known in Portuguese. After the British gained possession, 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 Persian.[4] The name was officially changed to Mumbai in 1995.

CluelessOne

I believe that Bombay was the the colonial name that the British gave Mumbai when India was part of the British Empire. That's why we are more familiar with Bombay in the west. Sometime after India gained it's independence it went back to Mumbai. We are just slow to adapt to the change.

Hypocrite Hunter

the new name is more attractive as a offshore production destination

Circlometry™

Liz

because when the british first invaded india, the couldn't pronounce mumbia so it slowly transformed to bombay (if you think about it, they sound similar) ever since then, the name stayed

zestful12

The appellation Mumbai is an eponym, etymologically derived from Mumba or Maha-Amba— the name of the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, and Aai — mother in Marathi. In the 16th century, the Portuguese named the area Bom Bahai (Good Bay), later corrupted to Bomaím or Bombaim, by which it is still known in Portuguese. After the British gained possession, 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 Persian. The name was officially changed to Mumbai in 1995.

barrabas

Before u r birth.

Ranjeet Ramaswamy

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.