Ramanagara: The Karnataka government has approved a proposal to rename Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South District, marking the end of an era for a town immortalised by the film Sholay. While the movie may have fictionalised Ramgarh, its real soul was filmed in Ramanagara’s rocky hills — a visual legacy that captured generations.
From Sholay’s Ramgarh to ‘Bengaluru South’, Ramanagara gets an urban identity
The move to change the name of the district comprising Ramanagara, Magadi, Kanakapura, Channapatna and Harohalli taluks gathered momentum recently after a delegation led by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar met with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and handed over a memorandum urging stronger action.
DK Shivakumar’s long-pending dream gets cabinet nod
The cabinet decision, cleared on Thursday, comes after persistent efforts by Deputy CM Shivakumar. The process of updating signboards is already underway, though Ramanagara town will continue as the district headquarters.
Originally carved out of Bengaluru Rural in 2007 by then CM H.D. Kumaraswamy, the district was born under the JD(S)-BJP regime. However, Shivakumar — who represents the Kanakapura Assembly segment in the district — had never been quite content with the name. Ramanagara is the native district of Shivakumar, and for years, he avoided using “Ramanagara district” in speeches, advocating to rename it to reflect the region’s development trajectory tied to Bengaluru’s southern edge.
Centre blocked the move, but DKS stood his ground
Last year, his proposal was turned down by the Centre, which said the renaming wasn’t possible. But Shivakumar insisted district names fall under state jurisdiction and cited legal precedent, like the Allahabad-to-Prayagraj change, to strengthen his case.
District HQ remains unchanged — only name moves forward
While the district takes on a new urban identity, the Ramanagara town will stay the headquarters. “This change is within our legal rights. The headquarters stays the same,” DKS clarified.
All eyes now on Kumaraswamy’s response
Political circles now await Kumaraswamy’s reaction, given his earlier opposition and reported efforts to stall the renaming. With his 2007 legacy altered, political watchers are keenly watching the former CM’s next move.
With only a formal notification pending, Ramanagara will soon officially become Bengaluru South — a shift in name, but not in memory.
