India is a land of immense talent and there are many people whose contribution to their respective fields has earned them recognition both nationally and internationally. With their excellence and expertise in areas such as literature, cinema, science and politics, these Indians are as popular abroad as they are in their homeland. Celebrating & honouring their talent, there are several places abroad that are named after them.
Here are 11 such places outside India that have been named after Indians:
1. A.R Rahman Street, Canada
A R Rahman’s music transcends all boundaries, and we know that the Oscar winning music composer is not only popular in India but also abroad. Canada showed its love for the Mozart of Madras by naming a street after him, called the ‘Allah-Rakha Rahman st’, in Ontario.
2. Gavaskar Place, New Zealand
Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, honoured little master Sunil Gavaskar by naming a street after him, calling it ‘Gavaskar Place’. Interestingly, the name of the locality where this street lies is called Khandala. Seems like New Zealand is quite smitten with India!
3. Mahatma Gandhi Road, Netherlands
We have a Mahatma Gandhi road in almost every city in India and with his popularity as the leader who propagated non-violence, he’s revered in many other countries too. There are many roads named after him in Netherlands, USA, Germany, Philippines, Iran, Canada and several other countries.
4. Swami Vivekananda Way, Chicago, USA
Who can forget the historic speech given by Swami Vivekananda in 1893 at the Parliament of Religions, in Chicago, which still fills us with pride? In his honour, a street was named after him in Chicago, which is called the Swami Vivekananda Way.
5. Indira Gandhi Street, Tanzania
India’s high commission in Nicosia, the only Indian representation in Cyprus, is located on the street named after India’s first woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. There’s also an Indira Gandhi street in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
6. Rabindranath Tagore Street, Berlin, Germany
Profound Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore visited Germany thrice, where he met one of the brilliant scientific minds of 20th century, Albert Einstein, at his Berlin home in 1926. Commemorating Tagore’s 100th birth anniversary in 1961, a street was named after him in the city of Tel Aviv. Interestingly, the street intersects with the one named after Einstein.
7. Jawaharlal Nehru Square, Moscow, Russia
India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru admired USSR and it’s a known fact that he’s quite popular in that country. There is a Jawaharlal Nehru square in Moscow’s Vernardsky Prospekt. The square is know as ‘Ja square’, as it’s difficult for Russians to pronounce Nehru’s first name.
8. Bhagat Singh Chowk, Lahore, Pakistan
The place where Bhagat Singh was executed, now known as Shadman chowk, was officially named as ‘Bhagat Singh Chowk’, after the revolutionary leader. However, due to the opposition met by some Islamic jihadists, the court stayed the decision.
9. Raj Kapoor Crescent, Canada
Legendary film actor and India’s ultimate showman has a street named after him in the city of Brampton, Canada. It’s called the Raj Kapoor Crescent.
10. Mt. Sinha, Antarctica
The United States named a mountain in Antarctica honouring Akhouri Sinha, the Indian-American scientist, who pioneered biological research expedition providing important data about animal populations.
11. Dwarkanath Kotnis Statue, Shijiazhuang, China
Dwarkanath Shantaram Kotnis was one of the 5 Indian physicians who was sent to China by the Indian government to provide medical assistance during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1938. He is widely respected by the Chinese. Which is why an entire south side of the Martyr’s Memorial park in Shijiazhuang city, one of the major tourist attractions, is dedicated to Dr Kotnis. A statue has also been erected in his honour.
