More cities in state to be renamed

After Bangalore becomes Bengaluru, Gulbarga may be renamed Kalburgi, Mysore 'Mysuru', Mangalore 'Mangaluru', Hubli 'Hubballi' and Belgaum 'Belagavi'.

There were proposals to rename the towns of Karnataka and the state government was considering them, chief minister N Dharam Singh said on Sunday.

"We will support them (the proposals)" and send them to the Centre for approval after discussion in the state cabinet, which will be held after this week's zilla and taluk panchayat elections, he told reporters here.

Defending renaming of Bangalore, Singh said the proposal had come at a meeting of litterateurs on the eve of "Suvarna Karnataka" (golden jubilee year of the formation of the state after the reorganisation of the states in 1956) celebrations.

The new name will come into vogue from November 1 next year. He said the move to rename Bangalore has been welcomed by intellectuals and others.