Odisha Proposes New English Spellings for 24 Places

if you’ve been seeing place names in Odisha and wondering why they sometimes don’t match how locals say them, here’s some interesting news! On February 4, 2026, the Revenue & Disaster Management Department put out a public notice suggesting updates to the English spellings of 24 locations. This includes seven districts and other spots spread over 11 districts.

The main goal? To make the English versions closer to the original Odia pronunciation and protect the state’s linguistic, historical, and cultural roots. Think of it like the big shift back in 2011 when the state went from “Orissa” to “Odisha” – it’s all about getting the spelling right to match how we actually speak.

These aren’t full renames like changing a city’s identity. They’re tweaks to fix old colonial-era or mismatched English transliterations. For example, many names got simplified or altered over time, losing sounds like the proper ‘ḍ’ or ‘ṛ’ feel from Odia. The government wants official maps, documents, signs, and records to reflect the true Odia way.

OLD NAME	PROPOSED NAME
Podia	Padia
Deogarh	Debagarh
Reamal	Riamal
Khondmal	Kandhamal
Khurda	Khoradha
Bolagarh	Bolagada
Banpur	Banapur
Jatni	Jatani
Angul	Anugol
Pallahara	Palalahada
Athagarh	Athagad
Salipur	Salepur
Baramba	Badamba
Balasore	Baleshwar
Nilgiri	Nilagiri
Aul	Ali
Kendrapara	Kendrapada
Makalapara	Mahakalapada
Keonjhar	Kendujhar
Barbil	Badbil
Keonjhargarh	Kendujhargarh
Rairakhol	Redhakhol
Nayagarh	Nayagada
Daspalla	Dashapalla

This is still just a proposal – nothing is final yet. The government will look at public feedback before deciding. It’s a nice step toward celebrating Odisha’s own identity in everyday use.

Odisha government has proposed changes in the English spelling of names of 24 places across the Odisha

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