PATNA: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary on Monday said that the Sultanganj railway station in Bhagalpur district will be renamed Ajgaibinath Dham.
He said that the Municipal Council of Ajgaibinath Dham has sent a proposal to the state government to change the name of the Sultanganj railway station.
“This decision aligns with a longstanding demand from local communities and religious groups, who believe that Ajgaibinath Dham better represents the station's cultural significance, ” he said.
He added that the Municipal Council of Ajgaibinath Dham had formally proposed the name change, which will soon be forwarded to the Railway Ministry for final approval.
He added that to rename Sultanganj has been ongoing for over a decade. “In June of this year, the proposal received local government support when it was passed by the Municipal Council and sent to the state government, ” he said.
He said that since 2007, various communities, including the chief Mahant of the Juna Akhara Committee, local residents, and the Panda community, have advocated for the station to reflect the ancient significance of Ajgaibinath Dham.
“This place is located on the bank of the Ganga River, holds religious importance, and proponents of the name change believe it will honour the region’s historical and cultural identity, ” he said.
In Bihar, the movement to rename railway stations with Muslim-associated names has gained momentum, particularly following similar changes in Uttar Pradesh under the NDA government. The push for name change mirrors neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, where names like Mughalsarai Junction and Allahabad Junction were renamed to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Junction and Prayagraj, respectively.