On August 27, officials announced that eight railway stations in the Lucknow division of Northern Railways had been officially renamed in honour of sants and freedom fighters.
According to a directive from Northern Railways, Kasimpur Halt Railway Station will be renamed Jais City Railway Station, Jais will become Guru Gorakhnath Dham, Misrauli will be known as Maa Kalikan Dham, and Bani will be renamed Swami Paramhans.
In a similar move, Nihalgarh Railway Station has been renamed Maharaja Bijli Pasi Railway Station, Akbarganj is now Maa Ahorwa Bhawani Dham, Warisganj has been changed to Amar Shahid Bhale Sultan, and Fursatganj will be known as Tapeshwarnath Dham.
The renaming of the stations followed a request by former Amethi MP Smriti Irani, who sought to preserve the cultural identity and heritage of the region. Smriti Irani announced the name changes on social media in March.
A senior railway official explained that Kasimpur Halt station was named after the distant Kasimpur village, prompting the proposal to rename it Jais City.
He explained that since the prominent Guru Gorakhnath Dham ashram is located near the Jais station, it was proposed that the station be renamed in honour of the ashram.
The official mentioned that several temples dedicated to Bhagwan Shiva and Maa Kali are located near Mishrauli, Bani, Akbarganj, and Fursatganj railway stations, leading to their renaming in accordance with these sacred sites.
The official explained that Nihalgarh station is situated in an area with a significant Pasi community, primarily farmers. As a result, the station was renamed in honour of Maharaja Bijli Pasi, a king from this community.
He noted that Warisganj is renowned for the bravery of Bhale Sultan, who fought against the British in 1857, and thus the station was renamed in his honour.
