Indian national parks that were renamed: What are they called now?

Across India, several national parks have undergone name changes over the decades, reflecting shifts in political history, cultural identity, conservation priorities and post-independence re-evaluation of colonial-era names. While the landscapes and wildlife remained constant, these renaming often marked an effort to better align protected areas with local heritage, historical figures or indigenous significance. Here are some of the national parks in India that got renamed; for some, it was multiple times.

Back in 1936, when it was first declared a national park, it was known by the name Hailey National Park. Then in 1954-55, it was briefly renamed Ramganga National Park. Some say it was due to the overwhelming presence of the river Ramganga inside the national park. The national park was renamed to honour Jim Corbett, the hunter-conservationist closely associated with the region. Jim Corbett National Park is India’s first national park, making it the oldest too.

Originally known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Keoladeo National Park is one of the iconic national parks and bird havens in India. Its wetlands are widely popular among birdwatchers, and thousands of visitors visit the national park every winter to see thousands of winter migratory birds. The name change reflects the Keoladeo (Shiva) temple located within the park and aligns with its UNESCO World Heritage status as a globally significant wetland.

This is one of the least visited national parks in India. Madhav National Park was earlier known as Shivpuri National Park. It is interesting to note that the national park was named after Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia of Gwalior. Did you know about this?

This national park in Manipur was originally called Mount Harriet National Park. In 2021, the national park was renamed Mount Manipur National Park, after the freedom fighters from Manipur who were imprisoned there. The new name acknowledges the historical connection between Manipur and the freedom struggle linked to the Andaman Islands.

Did you know that Orang National Park was previously named Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park? The people felt that the national park’s name sounded way too political. The name got rolled back due to local opposition and cultural considerations. It was soon restored to Orang National Park. Today, Orang National Park is one of the best places in India to see the one-horned rhinoceros in the wild. On your next wildlife adventure in Assam, make sure to add Orang National Park to your itinerary.