The Uttar Pradesh government has announced plans to rename Mustafabad village in Lakhimpur Kheri district as Kabirdham, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stating that the change aims to restore the cultural and historical significance of the site associated with the 15th-century saint and poet Sant Kabir. The proposal, which will soon be presented for official approval, is part of the government’s broader effort to revive and reclaim the state’s traditional heritage and spiritual identity.
While speaking at the Smriti Mahotsav Mela 2025, Chief Minister Adityanath said the renaming would symbolise a revival of the village’s deep spiritual roots and its connection to Sant Kabir’s teachings. “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 said. He emphasised that the move was not just administrative but cultural—an act meant to safeguard the state’s historical continuity and pay homage to revered figures of Indian spiritual history.
Adityanath also compared the planned change to earlier renaming initiatives undertaken by his government, highlighting the reversal of names imposed during previous regimes. “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 declared.
The Chief Minister explained that the idea of renaming the village struck him after learning that Mustafabad had no Muslim population despite its Islamic name. He said this discrepancy prompted him to reflect on the village’s identity and heritage. “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,” Adityanath recounted to the audience, adding that the government would soon initiate all required administrative and legal procedures to formalise the name change.
In his address, the Chief Minister also took a sharp dig at previous administrations, accusing them of misusing public funds for projects that did not promote cultural pride or community welfare. “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. He added that his government was now channelling resources toward cultural revival, religious tourism, and preservation of ancient traditions that strengthen community identity.
Highlighting the achievements of what he termed the BJP’s “double-engine government”—a reference to the party’s rule at both the state and central levels—Adityanath said the administration was focused on beautifying and developing all major pilgrimage sites in 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,” he said.
The proposed renaming of Mustafabad to Kabirdham aligns with the government’s ongoing strategy of restoring traditional names to culturally significant locations across the state. Officials stated that once the proposal is approved, the state administration will issue a formal notification, followed by clearance from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, which oversees changes to place names.
Supporters of the move have welcomed it as a gesture of respect toward Sant Kabir’s teachings of unity, simplicity, and devotion, which hold deep cultural resonance in the region. However, critics view the proposal as part of a broader political narrative focused on religious symbolism.
For now, the government remains firm on its stance, portraying the renaming as an act of cultural reclamation rather than political posturing. The process, officials say, will soon be set in motion to make Kabirdham the official name of the village, restoring what the Chief Minister described as “its rightful identity rooted in faith and history.”
