By Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced that Bhadohi district will now be known as Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi, restoring the name associated with the medieval saint. The announcement was made on Sunday during a programme where the chief minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 112 development projects worth more than ₹1,340 crore.
Adityanath said the decision fulfils an earlier commitment made on Guru Purnima, when he had announced that the district, widely known for its carpet industry, would again carry the name of Sant Ravidas. He said the renaming was intended to recognise the saint’s social and spiritual legacy and his message of equality.
“Now our Bhadohi district will be called Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi,” Adityanath said while making the announcement.
District has changed names several times
Bhadohi was originally part of Varanasi district before being made Uttar Pradesh’s 65th district on June 30, 1994. Its name has subsequently changed under different state governments.
The previous name change took place on December 6, 2014, when the then Samajwadi Party government led by Akhilesh Yadav changed the official name from Sant Ravidas Nagar-Bhadohi back to Bhadohi.
Adityanath had indicated earlier this year that the name would once again be changed to Sant Ravidas Nagar. The announcement came as the BJP was undertaking a Dalit outreach programme from Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Explaining the latest decision, Adityanath recalled Sant Ravidas’s teachings and said the saint had worked to promote social unity through spiritual devotion. He also connected the name with the idea of a society in which people have access to food and welfare without discrimination.
The chief minister referred to the Centre’s free ration programme while making the point. He said more than 80 crore people were currently receiving free ration under the scheme and described the district’s new name as fitting with Sant Ravidas’s vision of social welfare.
Yogi highlights development and welfare record
The district’s renaming was announced alongside a broader speech in which Adityanath highlighted his government’s development and welfare initiatives.
He also targeted the Samajwadi Party, alleging that funds that are now being used for pilgrimage sites, heritage conservation and beautification were not utilised for similar purposes before 2017. He accused the previous government of diverting resources and alleged that land was encroached upon in the name of boundary walls for graveyards.
Adityanath said the BJP-led “double-engine” government had changed the state’s approach to development, while also claiming that corruption, mafia activity and unrest had declined.
He argued that Uttar Pradesh was no longer viewed as a “Bimaru” state and said the state had moved from being among the bottom three in several sectors to being counted among the top three. These assessments were part of the chief minister’s political pitch during the programme.
Adityanath also highlighted what he described as improvements in security and economic opportunities. He said women and traders were safer, artisans had less need to migrate and farmers were receiving greater support through government schemes.
Yogi reiterates one lakh government jobs target
Employment was another major part of the chief minister’s address. Adityanath said his government had already provided jobs to young people and reiterated its target of filling another one lakh government posts within the next six months.
Taking aim at the Samajwadi Party, he accused its workers and earlier governments of undermining employment opportunities for young people. He warned that those involved in what he described as wrongdoing related to jobs would face legal action and property confiscation.
He also issued a warning against those who threaten women or traders, saying such cases would lead to criminal action.
The renaming of Bhadohi therefore came as part of a larger political and development message from the chief minister, combining the recognition of Sant Ravidas’s legacy with the government’s claims on welfare, infrastructure, law and order and employment.
For a district historically associated with India’s carpet industry, the return of the Sant Ravidas Nagar name marks another chapter in a long-running debate over its official identity.
