There is a demand in Maharashtra to rename the popular coastal city of Alibaug to Maynak Nagri. The request for this name change was initiated by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. He has urged the state to rename Alibaug after Shivaji Maharaj’s naval chief -da Maynak Bhandari. He has reportedly made this request after a delegation of the All India Bhandari Federation met and requested him to rename the coastal city.
Assembly Speaker Requests CM To Rename Alibaug To Maynak Nagri
Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has written a letter to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde requesting him to rename Alibaug as Maynak Nagri. He has urged the state to rename the popular coastal town after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s naval officer – Maynak Bhandari. He further requested the state to install a statue of Maynak Bhandari in Alibaug.
In his letter, Rahul Narwekar explained that he met a delegation of the All India Bhandari Federation. The delegation requested him to urge the state to rename Alibaug as Maynak Nagri. Believing it to be a “justified demand,” he wrote to the CM requesting the change.
In his letter, he explained why Alibaug should be renamed. He wrote, “Sea forts and Maratha Navy played an important role in protecting Swarajya from foreign invasions. The fort at Khanderi-Underi harbour at Alibag and the prowess of Maynak Bhandari… The bitter struggle he raised forced the British to retreat. Taking historical reference to this feat of Maynak Bhandari in the establishment of Swarajya and related history, the taluka along with Alibag city should be named as ‘Maynak Nagri’ and a grand monument of Maynak Bhandari erected.”
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Who Was Maynak Bhandari, The Naval Chief Of Shivaji Maharaj?
Alibaug is a popular city in Maharashtra that is known for its beautiful coastline and tourist attractions. Keeping in mind the city’s popularity and demography, the speaker urged the state to rename Alibaug after one of Shivaji’s most known naval officers. He was one of the first chiefs of the Maratha Navy under Shivaji.
As mentioned in the letter, in 1679, the British sent forces to seize the Khanderi-Underi region in the Mumbai harbour. Seeing this, Shivaji Maharaj sent Maynak Bhandari to confront them and take care of the entire matter. He fought bravely and defeated their forces. He commanded a naval fleet of 200 ships and was one of the pioneers of the Maratha Navy.
If followed through, this won’t be the first time Maharashtra is changing the name of a city or district. The state has, in the past few years, changed the names of Ahmednagar to Ahilyanagar, Aurangabad to Sambhaji Nagar, and Osmanabad to Dharashiv. What is your take on this entire matter? Let us know in the comments.
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