Yogi’s Big Rename Move: Why Mustafabad Could Become ‘Kabir Dham’

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said his government will move a proposal to rename Mustafabad village in Lakhimpur Kheri district as ‘Kabirdham’, asserting that the new name would revive the region’s historical and cultural association with Sant Kabir.The announcement came during the “Smriti Mahotsav Mela 2025” event, where Adityanath noted his surprise that Mustafabad does not have any Muslim residents despite its current name.Addressing the gathering, Yogi said, "When I asked about this village, I was told its name is Mustafabad. I asked how many Muslims live here and I was told there are none. Then I said the name should be changed. It should be called Kabirdham."He said that his government would initiate

a formal process for the name change. "We will bring the proposal and take it forward. This is about restoring the honour of a place associated with Sant Kabir's legacy," he stated.Adityanath drew a connection between this proposal and the broader renaming initiatives undertaken by his government in recent years. "Those who ruled earlier renamed Ayodhya as Faizabad, Prayagraj as Allahabad, and Kabirdham as Mustafabad. Our government is reversing that -- restoring Ayodhya, restoring Prayagraj, and now reviving Kabirdham to its rightful name," he said.The BJP-led government has placed a strong emphasis on developing religious and cultural sites across Uttar Pradesh."We have said every pilgrimage site should be beautified. Facilities for devotees such as rest houses and shelters should be built, and through the tourism and culture departments, we are reviving every major site of faith -- be it Kashi, Ayodhya, Kushinagar, Naimisharanya, Mathura-Vrindavan, Barsana, Gokul or Govardhan," Adityanath said. He pointed out that the use of public funds has changed under the current administration."Earlier, this money used to go for constructing boundary walls of 'kabristan' (graveyards). Now it is being used to develop our centres of faith and heritage," he said. The Chief Minister underscored his government’s commitment to safeguarding cultural identity."This is the spirit of belongingness, a revival of our civilisational identity. The government will continue to work towards restoring the glory of sites that reflect India's spiritual and cultural roots," he added.