Kathmandu, Jan. 23 -- When you ask Ranjit Shrestha where he is from, the 82-year-old will tell you he's from Wongha. The word Wongha might not sound familiar to many, but for elderly Newars in Kathmandu, it is where they were born and raised.

"Indra Chowk is Wongha to us," said Shrestha. "We still call it Wongha but the younger generations don't."

With the passage of time and changing social milieus, traditional names like Wongha have changed. Yen became Kathmandu, Yala became Lalitpur and Khwopa became Bhaktapur. Even Boudha Stupa had a different name-Khasti Mahachaitya-before the Panchayat era, according to historical records.

But this change in name hasn't been limited to the Valley. In more recent years, cities and villages across ...