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The Aligarh Municipal Corporation has taken a significant step towards renaming Aligarh as "Harigarh." The decision, passed unanimously by the civic body, marks another name change in Uttar Pradesh, following cities like Allahabad, Mughal Sarai, and Faizabad. Aligarh Mayor Prashant Singhal has emphasized that this renaming has been a long-standing demand from the people of Aligarh. The proposal to change Aligarh's name to Harigarh will now be forwarded to the state government for approval.
The call to rename Aligarh to Harigarh dates back to the 1970s when the Aligarh unit of the then Hana Sangh party advocated for the change. Additionally, some leaders associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have claimed that Harigarh was the original name of the city as mentioned in Hindu mythology. While there is historical reference to the city being called 'Kol' or 'Koil' since the 13th century CE, it was renamed Aligarh in the 1740s CE by Mughal commander Mirza Najaf.