Rajahmundry shall henceforth be known as Rajamahendravaram, announced Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the concluding meeting of the Godavari maha pushkaram here on Saturday night.

Baba Ramdev was the chief guest at the function.

Tourism project

He said the historical town, named after Raja Raja Narendra nearly a thousand years ago, was known as Rajamahendravaram, which the British found it difficult to pronounce. They changed it to Rajahmundry.

“We deem it fit to restore the original name of the town and we intend to develop it as a great tourist hub. A tourism project — Akhanda Godavari — is being launched with an initial outlay of ₹100 crore,” he said.

5 crore pilgrims Naidu said the Godavari maha pushkaram, in which nearly 5 crore pilgrims participated, was a huge success. He thanked the public, the government staff, the NGOs and all others for the success.

The Chief Minister said it had instilled a sense of identity and pride among the public and the spirit would enable them to face the new challenges being faced by the people of the State.

Baba Ramdev said it was a very impressive show and it was conducted in the proper spirit. He congratulated the Chief Minister for his organisational skills.