Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is said to have decided to name the state's new capital Amaravati, to be situated on the banks of Krishna River.
Naidu has apparently finalised the name keeping in mind the city's historical importance – Amaravati's association with Telugu heritage dates back to the Satavahana kingdom.
He will make a formal announcement on an auspicious moment in a few days, a minister told The Times of India.
"The chief minister preferred the historical importance of the region to the parochial sentiments expressed by some of his colleagues," the minister said, adding that Naidu wanted to make it official on the occasion of Ugadi in Tullur village last Saturday but refrained from doing so fearing controversies as the model code of conduct was in place for legislative council elections.
"Before leaving Hyderabad, he told us that the name Amaravati would be announced on Ugadi and carried with him all the necessary historical reports about the political and spiritual importance of Amaravati. However, the CM later decided to make the announcement on an exclusive occasion," the minister said.
The daily quoted sources as saying that the name will connect the new capital to 2000-year-old history, during which a small town by the name Amaravati existed about 32 km from the proposed capital area. The ancient Amaravati was also a Buddhist centre.
In ancient times, Amaravati was also known as Amareswaram for its famous Amareswara Temple.
The city holds great historical significance as it was the capital of Satavahana dynasty, the first Andhra dynasty to rule the region after the downfall of Mauryan Empire. It also has historical association with Buddhism, as several Buddhist sculptures were found on the slabs in the Amaravati temple.
