Kochi:The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to rename the southern Indian state of Kerala toKeralam, the name its people have used in Malayalam for centuries. While the change may look like a single letter added at the end, the story behind it stretches back more than 2,000 years. The origin of the name Keralam is traced through two major historical theories.
The Chera Dynasty Theory, considered the most historically credible, holds that the land was once called Cheralam, meaning "land of the Cheras," one of the three great ancient dynasties of South India. Over centuries, phonetic shifts gradually transformed Cheralam into Keralam. Historians note that the strongest evidence comes from the 3rd century BCE, when Emperor Ashoka's Rock Edict II refers to a southern ruler as "Keralaputra", widely regarded as the earliest recorded mention of the name.
The Folk Etymology Theory suggests that the word combines kera (coconut tree in Malayalam) and alam (land), making it the "land of coconuts." While this interpretation is widespread and popular, historians describe it as a later folk reading rather than the original source of the name.
"Kerala" is essentially a colonial-era spelling that entered official records because the British could not comfortably pronounce names ending with m or n, and changed them for administrative convenience, according to reports.
The evolution of Keralam's name
When the state was formally created on November 1, 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act, the anglicised "Kerala" was retained in the First Schedule of the Indian Constitution, even as its own people continued to call it Keralam in their daily lives.
The movement to officially reclaim the name Keralam has been long in the making. The Kerala Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous resolution in August 2023, followed by a second resolution in June 2024, urging the Centre to amend the Constitution under Article 3. The move was supported by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's ruling LDF, the Congress-led UDF opposition, and even the state BJP unit.
The Cabinet approval is just the beginning. Following Cabinet approval, the President of India will refer theKerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026to the State Legislative Assembly for its views, after which the bill will be introduced in Parliament for final passage. Only after Parliament clears the bill will "Keralam" officially replace "Kerala" across all constitutional documents, maps, and government records.
Kerala joins a growing list of Indian states and cities shedding anglicised names. Orissa became Odisha, Uttaranchal became Uttarakhand, and cities like Allahabad were renamed Prayagraj. The Keralam change aligns with India's broader trend of renaming places to honour local language, culture, and history.
Notably, MP Shashi Tharoor has already raised a lighthearted question, what will residents be called, Keralamites or Keralamians?
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
