A general view of Joshimath,
Credit: PTI Photo
Gopeshwar: The Chamoli district administration has issued an official order renaming the Joshimath town as Jyotirmath, its ancient name.
Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana issued a formal order in this regard on Wednesday.
The order states that Joshimath will be known as Jyotirmath from the day it is notified in the state gazette.
The locals had been demanding for a long time that Joshimath be renamed as Jyotirmath, and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami made an announcement at a programme in Chamoli district last year that it will be done.
Accordingly, a proposal was made and sent to the Central government, which was approved in June.
It is believed that in the eighth century Adi Guru Shankaracharya came to this area and subjected himself to penance under the Kalpavriksha and attained the light of divine knowledge.
The place was called Jyotirmath after Jyotieshwar Mahadev who is worshipped here and because of the fact that the seer attained the light of divine knowledge here.
However, over time it came to be called Joshimath.
Joshimath is considered to be the gateway to Badrinath Dham.