Archive · 26 Sep 2026
Warangal Debate Intensifies Over Proposed Mamunur Airport Renaming
Officials and others are discussing whether to give Warangal’s Mamunur Airport a new name.
Possible names include Rani Rudramadevi, Chakali Ailamma, Sammakka-Sarakka and P.V. Narasimha Rao.
Some residents want to keep the name Mamunur.
They say the name may be connected to Mummidamma, who is believed to have been Rani Rudramadevi’s daughter.
They also say Mamunur has been part of the region’s aviation history for almost 100 years.
Important people, including Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, were associated with the airport.
Supporters of keeping the name say it is part of Warangal’s identity.
They suggest adding museums and heritage displays to honour the region’s history without renaming the airport.
Several names, including Rani Rudramadevi and P.V. Narasimha Rao, are being considered for Mamunur Airport.
Some Warangal residents want the airport to retain the Mamunur name because of its claimed historical link to Mummidamma.
Local researchers say Mamunur may have evolved from Mummidamma, believed to be Rani Rudramadevi’s daughter.
Mamunur has been associated with Warangal’s aviation history since land acquisition during the early 1930s.
Residents have proposed heritage galleries and an aviation museum as alternatives to removing the existing name.
- Who
- Warangal residents, local historians and those considering names for the airport are involved in the debate.
- What
- A proposal to rename Mamunur Airport has prompted competing calls to honour historical figures or retain the existing name.
- When
- The airport’s land acquisition began in the early 1930s and was completed by 1934; the current renaming debate is ongoing.
- Where
- Mamunur Airport in Warangal, Telangana.
- Why
- Some want to commemorate regional historical figures, while others want to preserve Mamunur’s local, cultural and aviation associations.
Supporters of Renaming
Supporters of Retaining Mamunur
Honouring regional history
Supporters of Renaming
A new name could recognise prominent regional figures such as Rani Rudramadevi, Chakali Ailamma or P.V. Narasimha Rao.
Supporters of Retaining Mamunur
The airport can honour historical figures through galleries and displays without erasing the Mamunur name.
Historical identity
Supporters of Renaming
Renaming could provide a prominent public tribute to the region’s historical and cultural personalities.
Supporters of Retaining Mamunur
Residents say Mamunur itself may preserve a connection to Mummidamma and is part of Warangal’s collective memory.
Modernisation
Supporters of Renaming
Those backing a new name associate the airport’s revival with giving it a more prominent historical identity.
Supporters of Retaining Mamunur
Residents argue that reviving or modernising the airport does not require changing a name retained through the Nizam era and after Independence.
- Airport
- Mamunur Airport in Warangal
- Names considered
- Rani Rudramadevi, Chakali Ailamma, Sarvai Papanna Goud, Sammakka-Sarakka, Prataparudra, Prof. Jayashankar and P.V. Narasimha Rao
- Proposed historical link
- Local researchers say Mamunur may have evolved from Mummidamma, believed to be Rani Rudramadevi’s daughter
- Airport origins
- Land acquisition reportedly began during the reign of Mir Osman Ali Khan in the early 1930s and was completed by 1934
- Historical visitors
- Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and other prominent figures were associated with the airport
- Retention proposals
- A Kakatiya heritage gallery, Mamunur aviation history museum and a display about Rudramadevi and Mummidamma have been suggested