India, Feb. 5 -- The Odisha government on Thursday proposed changes to the English spellings of 24 places across the state, saying they would restore original Odia names and reflect its linguistic and cultural heritage.

A public notice said the move would transform familiar names into versions that more accurately capture their pronunciation in Odia. Khurda, Balasore, Khondmal, and the industrial district of Angul Anugol would become Khordha, Baleshwar, Kandhamal, and Aul Ali.

Keonjhar would be known as Kendujhar. According to historical accounts, the name is derived from "Kendujhar," meaning "new capital near a perennial spring," built by King Jyoti Bhanja. When the feudatory state merged with Odisha in 1948, it became one of 13 distri...