Khultabad to be Renamed ‘Ratnapur’ A Cultural Reclamation Move by Maharashtra Government

In a move to revive pre-Mughal heritage, the Maharashtra government has announced the renaming of Khultabad to its original name, Ratnapur, on April 8, 2025, by Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat.
Located in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district, Khultabad—home to Aurangzeb’s tomb, along with graves of Azam Shah and Asaf Jah I—was renamed during the Mughal era.
The decision, part of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance’s effort to restore historical and cultural identities, is presented as a restoration, not a political act. Shirsat criticized Aurangzeb as a “tyrant,” fueling debates over the monument’s protected status.