GORAKHPUR, Uttar Pradesh

Main Attraction: GORAKHNATH TEMPLE

The present city of Gorakhpur, is developing around ‘Gol Ghar’ expanding in two directions towards east and to the south-east while the old Gorakhpur contains the ‘mansrovar’ and ‘kauladah tanks’ and famous shrine of Gorakhnath. The temple of Gorakhnath is of undoubted antiquity which is said to have been rebuilt in the year 1896. The temple is rectangular in shape with a verandah around it supported by round pillars. This building is white washed with decorations in colours. The shrine inside the temple contains the ‘Gaddi’ of Gorakhnath on which rests his ‘kharaon’ (wooden chappals) and hand-bells. There is ‘Samadhi’ of Guru Gorakhnath in the temple which is situated on the Gorakhpur-Nautanwa road. It was the ‘tap-bhumi’ of Guru Gorakhnath and as per tradition the people visiting there with their unfulfilled desires specially on tuesday and offer ‘Khichadi’ with true worship, their keen desires get fulfilled. 

On ‘Makar-Sakranti’ a fair is held where devotees having faith gather from long distances too. Inside the premises of the temple there is a pond and by the side of it a 15 feet long idol of Bhima is lying there. It is believed that during Ramas Yagya of Pandavas, Bhima had come to invite the Guru Gorakhnath and after taking bath in the pond he had rested there. It is also said that the king of Nepal had no child and with his such ambition he had visited there and with the blessings of Guru Gorakhnath he could get a son. Now-a-days Gorakhnath society is managing a number of Intermediate, Degree, Polytechnic, Engineering Colleges besides Sanskrit Vidyalaya and Leprosy Sewa Ashram in Gorakhpur.

Brief History

The district bears its name and fame from renowned, ascetic 'Gorakshnath', who was an eminent profounder saint of 'Nath Sampradaya', a deity of great fame in Nepal. He is said to have founder the city of Gorakhpur. A famous shrine 'Gorakhnath' was built in his honour on the same spot where he practiced austerities.

In the ancient times the region was ruled by Iksvaku with his capital at Ayodhya. The monarch founded the star dynasty of Ksatriyas. Subsequently, the district was divided in a number of republics under the sovereignty of the kingdom of Kosala. The republics which had only a portion of their territory in the district, were the Sakyas of Kapilvastu (in Basti District) and the Mallar of Kushinagar and Para (in Deoria District). The state of Sakyas lay in the western part of the District by the sixth century B.C. These republics become independent entities with defined territories. They had organized government and wielded more or less sovereign power. Gautam Buddha of the Sakya class, a great religious teacher, exercised enormous spiritual influence on these republics and the people had great respect for him. In the middle of the fourth century BC. Maha Padma , the Nanda king of Magadh in order to overthrow the kingdom of Kosala, attached the district and annexed the territory comprising the republic of the Koliyas and Sakyas. In the beginning of the fourth century A.D., the region covered by the district fell within the central core of the empire of Chandra Gupta -I (320-325A.D.), whose political power was enhanced to a great extent by virtue of his marriage with the Licchavi princess, Kumardevi. In the post Gupta period this region fell in the domination of the Maukharis followed by Harsh of Kannauj. In the ninth century A.D. this district was dominated by the Gurjara-Pratikaras and formed part of the Sravasti Bhukti of their empire.

The Tharu King, Man Sen or Madan Singh (900-950A.D.) ruled over Gorakhpur city and the adjoining area. A large tank at Gorakhpur called Mansarover is ascribed to him and a smallar one called Kaulada to his wife, Kulawati. He was reputed to have immense wealth which induced Donwar Rajputs to invade his capital and oust him. There after they established themselves in the east of the Gorakhpur city constructed fort which was called Domingarh. The ruins of Domingarh are still found in the shape of a mound built of large thick and square bricks.

After the decline of Gurjara-Pratiharas Laksna Karna (1041-1042AD.) of Kalachuri dynasty of Tripuri who came to power, brought under his control almost the entire region covered by the present district of Gorakhpur. But his son and successor Yash Karna (1073-1120A.D.) was unable to check the process of disintegration. The defeat of Jaychandra (1170-1194A.D.) grandson of Govind Chandra, at the hands of Shahabud-din Ghuri in 1194, paralysed the Gahadvala power and brought to an end their dominance over the district. As a result, a number of small principalities held by Sarnet, Douwar, Kaushik, Rajputs, and Bhars came into existence in different parts of the district.

In the early medieval period the Gorakhpur region was passed nominally into the hold of Qutub-ud-din Aibak (1193) the Delhi Saltanat (1451-1488). It was in 1565 that the region drew attention of Akbar, when the Uzbegs under their leader Khan Zaman (Ali Quli Khan), the Governor of Jaunpur rose in revolt against the emperor. A Muslim garrison was stationed at Gorakhpur and for the first time the district become an integral part of the empire. After the defeat and death of Khan Zaman in 1567, the emperor bestowed his Jagirs in Jaunpur on Muin Khan and since then the town became a place of possessing a coppernint. On Akbar’s re-organization of the empire, Gorakhpur gave its name to one of the five Sirkars comprising the province of Avadh. The Gorakhpur Sirkars with 24 Mahals now in districts of Gorakhpur, Basti, Gonda and Azamgarh had an area of 2,44,283 bighas (3256 hectares) yielding 1,19,26,190 dons as revenue. 

In 1610 Jahangir (1605-1627) bestowed the chief of Gorakhpur on Afzal Khan, the Governor of Bihar, who made the district his residence in preference to the official capital at Patna. In the region of Shah Jahan (1628-1658) the district continued to be a part of the Subah of Avadh and Gorakhpur Sirkar coasted of 119 Mahals. About the 1680, Aurangzeb appointed Kazi Khalil-ul-Rehman as Chaclidar of Gorakhpur. At the end of the 17th century A.D prince Muazzam, afterwards known as Bahadur Shah came to Gorakhpur for hunting and to him is ascribed the Jama Masjid at Gorakhpur. In his honour a division newly carved out from the Sirkars of Gorakhpur and Saran was named Muazzamabad and by this little district of Gorakhpur is mentioned in all official records from this date to that of its cession in 1801. In the same year the arrears of subsidies, due under various treaties for the use of English troops had reached an amount which Nawab Saadat Ali Khan found himself quite unable to pay. To wipe off the debt, Saadat Ali Khan ceased Gorakhpur and other tracts to the East India Company by the treaty of 10th November, 1801. The condition of the district at the time of cession was very wretched. It is described as almost entirely without administration, overgrown with jungle, road less infested by robbers and in many places laid waste by the armed retainers of the principal landholders. Long before the cession the Gurkhas had taken advantage of the prevailing anarchy to augment their possessions in the plains.

During the freedom struggle (1857-58) the civil administration was re-established in the district. The commissionerships of Gorakhpur and Varanasi divisions were combined. The size of the district was however, too large to be administered as a single unit. Therefore, in 1865, a new district of Basti was formed with six Parganas of Gorakhpur along with the great part of Maghar and pargana of Binayakpur. In 1869 for the administration of the civil town of Gorakhpur, a municipality was setup. The district faced a severe famine in 1873-74. The Head Qatar of North Western Railways Division was established in the district on January 15th, 1885. The commissionership of Gorakhpur was, however, revived on April 1,1891.

The non co-operation movement of the congress had taken root in the district in 1920 and received a great impetus from Gandhi ji’s first visit to the district on 8 February,1921. In year 1923, political meeting and conferences were held in all parts of the district. Moti Lal Nehru, Jawahar Lal Nehru and Dr. Mahmud visited the district on several occasions between 1921 & 1926. It was in the Gorakhpur district jail that Ram Prasad ‘Bismil’ the freedom fighter convicted in the famous Kakori case, was hanged to death on December 18,1926.

Civil Disobedience Movement started in the district in 1930-34. Gandhi ji on his second visit to this district received a tumultuous ovation everywhere he went. His visit was commemorated by establishing district and tahsil congress committees actively supported by other bodies, which came into being at about the same time, like the youth Leauge, the Naujawan Dal, the Navyuwak Sewa Sangh, the Kisan Sabha etc. The activities of these bodies developed on an all-India pattern, starting with the boycott of foreign cloths and liquor, picketing of such shops and the cutting of today trees. During the salt Satyagraha Movement of 1930, Gorakhpur played an important part. In 1931, the people of the district participated in the Kisan movement which took the form of a protest against the oppression committed by the Zamindars. Rafi Ahmad Kidwai and Sampurn Nanad visited the district in 1935 and condemned the British tyranny. This was followed by the visit of certain other national leaders in 1940, prominent among whom being Govind Ballabh Pant and Jawahar Lal Nehru. The trial of Jawahar Lal Nehru Commenced in that very year in this district in which he was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of four years. The district did not lag behind in the Quit India Movement of August, 1942. Almost everywhere in the district it started with Hartals, Protest meetings, processions and defying of prohibitory orders. Another important event took place at Doharia (In Sahjanwa Tehsil ) on 23rd August,1942. In response to the famous Quit India Movement of 1942, a meeting was held to register its protest against the British Government at Doharia but the latter responded with unprovoked firing, killing nine and injuring hundreds. A Shaheed Smarak , in their memory, stands there which still today keeps their memory alive.

Gorakhpur rose to great eminence due to the historic 'CHAURI CHAURA' incident of 4th Feb., 1922, which was a turning -point in the history of India's freedom struggle. Enraged at the inhuman barbaric atrocities of the police, the volunteers burnt down the Chauri-Chaura Police Station, killing nineteen policemen at the premises. With this violence, Mahatma Gandhi withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement launched in 1920. District got independence with other parts of India on August 1947.

Gorakhpur is also identified with the Gita Press, the world famous publisher of the Hindu religious books. The most famous publication is 'KALYAN' magazine. All 18 parts of Shree Bhagwat Gita is written on its marble-walls. Other wall hangings and paintings reveal the events of life of Lord Ram and Krishna. The Gita Press is fore-front in dissemination of religious and spiritual consciousness across the country.