The Gathering just renamed one of its iconic planes

Magic: The Reunion has renamed one of its iconic planes, with Kaladesh now called Avishkar. First introduced in 2015, Kaladesh is best known as the original home of the iconic planeswalker Chandra Nalaar. Kaladesh, which took inspiration from real-world India, is notable for having a high concentration of aether, a magical energy often used to summon creatures. The plane appeared in many Magic: The Reunion sets over the years, including the Kaladesh set block and the upcoming release Derives from the Ether. However, in its next appearance, the plane will have a new name.

Wizards of the Coast announced this week that the plane will be called Avishkar going forward. “We knew we had heard feedback at the release of the original Kaladesh set that this name carried unfortunate connotations in some dialects of the Hindi language, and we wanted to ensure that our return to the plane was done carefully and respectfully.“, Wizards said in a statement on the company's official website. After interacting with a group of subject matter and language experts, Wizards chose to rename the plane Avishkar.

Why Kaladesh Changed

The word Kala has different meanings depending on the pronunciation

The plane's original name, Kaladesh, was inspired by two Hindi words – “kala” and “desh.” Kala usually means “tomorrow” or “art“while desh is a word that means”home” or “country.” However, when pronounced differently, “Kala“also means”black,” which Wizards noted can carry “derogatory colorist and racist connotations when applied to a person.” Unfortunately, some mispronounced the plane's name, leading Wizards to opt for a name change. The name chosen was Avishkar, which comes from the Hindi word meaning “invention.”

However, Wizards noted that Avishkar's story is not being retold. The plane was previously called Kaladesh, but the name was changed by its residents following a popular rebellion which ended his former government. Avishkar is now led by the Avishkar Assembly, but the capital of the plane remains the city of Ghirapur. As for Derives from the EtherThe new set revolves around the Ghirapur Grand Prix, a newly legal race involving magical vehicles. Although the Grand Prix was once an underground race, the race was formally recognized by the Avishkar Assembly and its prizes are treasures accumulated by the former government.

Our opinion: pronunciation is key

Avishkar is an excellent substitute that can avoid Kaladesh's problems

Kaladesh was a victim of good intentions but bad pronunciation. I'm glad Wizards chose to simply rename the planethat has a deep history and an incredible aesthetic, rather than destroying it as part of one of the Mmagical: The Reunionthe great stories that span the universe

Kaladesh's lesson also points to one of the dangers of drawing real-world influences into fantasy worlds. In that case, the original designers simply didn't realize there was a similar word with connotations they hoped to avoid and as a result, I didn't think to emphasize the correct pronunciation to the fans. Hopefully Avishkar's new name can have a long and fruitful life away from any controversy in Magic: The Reunion.

Source: Official Magic Website