Mustafabad New Identity Kabirdham to Honour Kabir Legacy

Updated on Oct - 27 - 2025, 06:30 PM

In a recent announcement at the “Smriti Mahotsav Mela 2025”, Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, revealed that the village of Mustafabad in Lakhimpur Kheri district will be proposed to be renamed as Kabirdham. He explained that this change is intended to revive the area’s historical and cultural link with the revered 15th-century poet-saint Sant Kabir, whose legacy the region celebrates.

Adityanath noted with surprise that Mustafabad reportedly had no significant Muslim population, yet carried a name that conveyed such identity; he argued this mismatch reinforced the need to restore the original cultural identity.

He also placed the renaming effort in line with previous initiatives by his government for instance, restoring the name Ayodhya (formerly Faizabad) and Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) positioning the move as part of a broader cultural revival across the state.

Beyond the name change, the CM emphasised that the government will allocate resources to develop pilgrimage and heritage sites across the state improving infrastructure such as rest houses and shelters for devotees, and aiding tourism around spiritual spots like Kashi, Mathura-Vrindavan and Kushinagar.

Supporters say the move symbolises restoring pride and identity for a region tied to Sant Kabir’s legacy. Critics may argue that renaming places is more symbolic than substantive, and that development and welfare should accompany such identity work. Only time will tell how local residents respond and how much effect it has on heritage, tourism and everyday life in the village.