Why Isn't It Still Mysore? The 17-Year Name Fight
Karnataka just turned 71. But on its first birthday, in 1956, it was called Mysore, and it stayed Mysore for 17 years. A curious young learner from Mysuru wants to know why the name changed. A wise mentor who remembers the old maps explains.
curious young learner, grew up near Mysuru Palace
wise mentor, still owns a map that says "Mysore State"
THE PASTFrom 20 pieces to one state
A language cut into pieces
ZappyMy grandfather's old school book says "Mysore State". Did Karnataka not exist back then?
Prof. BoltThe land existed. The people spoke Kannada. But under British rule, they lived under many different rulers.
Before 1947
Deccan Herald counts Kannada speakers spread over about 20 fragments: the Nizam's Hyderabad, the Mysore kingdom, the Bombay and Madras presidencies, Coorg and several small princely states.
The dream begins
- 1890: R.H. Deshpande starts the Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha in Dharwad, to keep Kannada alive in a Marathi-run area.
- 1905: Alur Venkata Rao starts the "Ekikarana" (unification) movement.
- 1924: Congress meets in Belagavi, and the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee is formed.
Why "Mysore" was a proud name
The Mysore model (under Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV)
At the 1930 Round Table Conference, Lord Sankey called Mysore "the best administered state in the world".
Prof. BoltSo when the time came to join the Kannada lands, many people in old Mysore did not want to lose that famous name.
1952–1956: India redraws its map by language
The spark
Potti Sriramulu died on 16 December 1952 after a fast for a Telugu state. Andhra State came in 1953, and Bellary district moved from Madras to Mysore.
The commission
The States Reorganisation Commission (Fazal Ali, K.M. Panikkar, H.N. Kunzru) was set up in December 1953 and reported on 30 September 1955.
The result
The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 redrew India. "UT" means union territory, run by the Centre.
1 November 1956: "Vishala Mysore"
| Came from | Districts that joined |
|---|---|
| Bombay State | Belgaum, Bijapur, Dharwad, North Canara |
| Hyderabad State | Raichur, Gulbarga (Kalaburagi), Bidar, Koppal |
| Madras State | South Canara (Bellary had joined in 1953) |
| Coorg State | All of Coorg, now a district |
Bigger state, same old name
"Vishala" means big. The joined state kept the name Mysore. The capital moved from Mysore city to Bangalore.
ZappySo people from Dharwad and Bidar woke up as citizens of "Mysore"?
Prof. BoltExactly. Alur Venkata Rao called it "the now wrongly named State".
Who wanted to keep "Mysore", and why
Fear 1: money
Old Mysore leaders feared the poorer northern regions would drain the richer Mysore region (Deccan Herald).
Fear 2: power
There was an unspoken worry that a united state would shift political power between communities.
Fear 3: pride
Respect for the Wadiyars and the "model state" made "Mysore" hard to let go. Some even wanted two states instead of one.
Prof. BoltHere's the twist, Zappy. Devaraj Urs, the Chief Minister who finally changed the name, said he had once opposed it himself.
1972–73: Mysore becomes Karnataka
Why Urs changed his mind
"The majority opinion has to be accepted," Urs said. Activists like Vatal Nagaraj, A.J. Doddameti, K.H. Patil and Gopal Gowda had pushed for years.
Celebrations were held across the state, especially at Hampi, the old Vijayanagara capital, where Alur Venkata Rao had begun his work.
From unification (1956) to the new name (1973).
THE PRESENT71 years on
Rajyotsava 2026: 71 years, 71 awards
The awards
Rajyotsava awards announced on 30 October 2026, one for each year. Each winner gets ₹5 lakh and a 25-gram gold medal.
Who won
Yakshagana artiste Gopala Ganiga, writer Dr Indira Hegde, former Advocate General B.V. Acharya and more. Twelve are women.
A full circle
Vatal Nagaraj, one of the men who fought for the name "Karnataka" in 1972, was considered for an award this year but declined it.
The renaming never really stopped
1 Nov 2014
Twelve cities got Kannada names. Bangalore became Bengaluru, Mysore became Mysuru, Belgaum became Belagavi.
2019
"Hyderabad-Karnataka" became Kalyana Karnataka: 7 districts, 1.13 crore people (2011 Census).
Nov 2021
"Mumbai-Karnataka" became Kittur Karnataka: Belagavi, Dharwad, Vijayapura and four more districts.
Every rename has the same idea: drop the name of an old ruler or an old province, and use a name from the land's own history.
The old fear, measured today
Karnataka is now big money
- Economy (GSDP, the state's total output) 2026-27: ₹33 lakh crore (budget estimate)
- Share of India's GDP: 8.3% (2022-23) → 8.9% (2024-25 est.)
Income per person, 2025-26 (PRS)
But the gap inside is huge (2024-25)
Yadgir is in Kalyana Karnataka. Karnataka Economic Survey via Deccan Herald.
THE DEEP DIVEThe research behind the headlines
Where does the word "Karnataka" come from?
Very old
The oldest known mention is in the Mahabharata, about soldiers who came to fight at Kurukshetra (Prof. Purushottam Bilimale, in The Hindu).
Three meanings people suggest
- Karu + nadu = high land
- Kari nadu = land of black (cotton) soil
- Kari = elephant
Scholars still argue. No single answer.
Used for centuries
Vijayanagara inscriptions say "Karnataka Desha". Kuvempu used "Karnataka" in his 1924 song Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, made the state anthem in 2004.
Prof. BoltSo "Mysore" was the newer name, the name of one kingdom. "Karnataka" was the name of the whole land, long before the British came.
The maths of the merger
Area (square miles)
GlobalSecurity (princely Mysore); Law Commission Report No. 14 (reorganised state, 1951 Census basis).
Work it out
So about 60% of the new state's land came from outside the old kingdom (our arithmetic). Yet it kept the kingdom's name.
People
Population of the reorganised state, by the 1951 Census.
How does a state change its name?
The rule book
Article 3 of the Constitution gives Parliament the power. Article 4 says it is not a constitutional amendment, so a simple majority (more than half of those voting) is enough.
The catch
Parliament is not bound by the state's views. It can also say no. West Bengal's "Bangla" request (2018) is still waiting.
Karnataka is not alone
| Old name | New name | Year |
|---|---|---|
| United Provinces | Uttar Pradesh | 1950 |
| Madras | Tamil Nadu | 1969 |
| Mysore | Karnataka | 1973 |
| Uttaranchal | Uttarakhand | 2007 |
| Orissa | Odisha | 2011 |
| Kerala | Keralam | 2026 |
GKToday. Keralam: Bill passed by Parliament on 12 August 2026, after Kerala Assembly resolutions in 2023 and 2024 (Manorama Yearbook).
ZappyKerala took three years. We took seventeen!
Prof. BoltBecause their fight was only about a name. Ours was about money, power and pride too.
The unfinished business
The Belagavi border
In 1957, Maharashtra claimed 814 villages and about 6.7 lakh people. The Mahajan Commission (report 1967) suggested swapping 264 places to Maharashtra and 247 to Karnataka. It was never carried out. Maharashtra went to the Supreme Court in 2004; the case is still open.
Help for the north
In 2012, the 98th Constitutional Amendment added Article 371J for Kalyana Karnataka: a development board, plus seats reserved for local people in colleges and state government jobs.
Prof. BoltOne name joined the map in 1973. Joining the incomes is taking much longer.
THE FUTUREProf. Bolt's verdict, and Zappy's plan
Prof. Bolt's verdict (opinion)
The rename was fair. Most of the land came from outside old Mysore. A name for the whole land made everyone an equal owner.
Mysuru kept its glory. Dasara, the Palace and the Wadiyar legacy are still the state's pride. Mysuru did not shrink when the state's name grew.
The real test is the money gap. Bengaluru Urban earns five times Yadgir per person. The 1956 fear was about this; it is still the job to finish.
So what should Zappy do?
Know your own place
- Visit Hampi once; that's where the unification dream began.
- Ask grandparents what they called the state in 1960. It's living history.
For daily life
- Use the official names (Bengaluru, Mysuru, Belagavi) on forms and addresses.
- From Kalyana Karnataka? Check the 371J local quota for college seats and state jobs.
ZappySo I can love Mysuru and Karnataka at the same time?
Prof. BoltThat was the whole point of 1973, Zappy.
Fridge-door cheat sheet
The story
- Kannada lands were split into ~20 pieces.
- 1 Nov 1956: joined as "Mysore".
- 1 Nov 1973: renamed Karnataka.
- 2026: 71st Rajyotsava, 71 awards.
Deep dive
- New state was ~2.5× old Mysore.
- "Karnataka" goes back to the Mahabharata.
- Renaming needs only a simple majority.
- Kerala became Keralam in 2026.
- Belagavi border case still open.
Your move
- Visit Hampi.
- Use official names on forms.
- Know your 371J rights if from the north.
- Ask the elders.
Zappy and Prof. Bolt are made-up characters; the history and data are real. Sources: Deccan Herald ("United by a new name"; Karnataka Economic Survey share of GDP and district incomes), The Hindu ("Karnataka: a 50-year-old name, centuries of legacy"), The News Minute (making of Karnataka; Bengaluru streetlight; Kittur Karnataka), Wikipedia (Mysore State, Karnataka Rajyotsava, States Reorganisation Commission, Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, Kalyana-Karnataka, Article 371J), GKToday (2026 Rajyotsava awards; state renamings and process), Manorama Yearbook (Keralam Bill, Aug 2026), PRS Legislative Research (Karnataka Budget 2026-27), Law Commission of India Report No. 14 (area and population, 1951 Census basis), GlobalSecurity (princely Mysore area), ClearIAS (Belagavi border dispute). Ratios and percentages are our own arithmetic. Figures rounded. Prof. Bolt's verdict is opinion.