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BANGALORE (Reuters) - Bangalore, long known as India's Garden City and now a global technology hub, is set to change its name to Bengalooru, reverting to a centuries-old title that means "the town of boiled beans".

The city of 6.5 million, capital of southern Karnataka state, is the latest to drop a colonial name British rulers found easier to pronounce than the original.

The financial centre of Bombay has become Mumbai, the southern city of Madras is now Chennai, and Calcutta is Kolkata.

"The decision has been taken. Most likely it will be from November, 2006," a spokesman for state Chief Minister Dharam Singh said on Monday.