Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur district and the Gorakhpur division. The city lies in the fertile plains of the Rapti and Rohin rivers, near the border with Nepal, and serves as a major commercial, religious, educational and transport hub of the Purvanchal region.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| Region | Purvanchal |
| District | Gorakhpur |
| Division | Gorakhpur |
| Named after | Saint Gorakhnath |
| Languages | Hindi, Bhojpuri, Urdu |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
The city derives its name from the medieval ascetic Gorakhnath, a prominent figure of the Nath sampradaya. The Gorakhnath Math, a temple-monastery complex dedicated to him, remains a defining cultural landmark of the city.
Gorakhpur lies in the Terai belt of the Gangetic plain. The Rapti river flows along the city, and the large Ramgarh Tal lake is a notable feature within the urban area. The city is situated close to the foothills of the Himalayas and shares regional ties with the bordering districts of Nepal.
The region around Gorakhpur has historical connections to ancient Indian polities, including links with Kapilavastu and the Shakya territory associated with Gautama Buddha. Nearby Kushinagar, where the Buddha is traditionally believed to have attained Mahaparinirvana, lies a short distance to the east. The area subsequently came under the Mauryas, Guptas, and later medieval dynasties before being absorbed into the Mughal Empire and eventually the British administration as part of the United Provinces.
During the colonial period, Gorakhpur grew as a recruitment centre for the British Indian Army and as a railway town. It was associated with the Indian freedom movement; the Chauri Chaura incident of 4 February 1922, in which protesters clashed with police at a station in Chauri Chaura within Gorakhpur district, prompted Mahatma Gandhi to suspend the Non-Cooperation Movement.
The Gorakhnath Math, headed historically by mahants of the Nath order, is the most prominent religious institution in the city. The math has also exercised significant influence in regional politics. The annual Khichdi Mela on Makar Sankranti at the math draws large numbers of pilgrims.
The city is also associated with the Hindi and Urdu literary tradition; the writer Munshi Premchand taught at a school in Gorakhpur, and the publishing house Gita Press, founded in 1923, is based in the city. Gita Press is among the largest publishers of Hindu religious texts in India and brings out the magazine Kalyan.
Gorakhpur's economy is based on trade, agriculture-related commerce, services, education and the railways. It functions as a market town for the surrounding agricultural belt and for cross-border trade with Nepal. Terracotta craft from the nearby village of Aurangabad is a recognised geographical product of the region.
The city is the headquarters of the North Eastern Railway zone of Indian Railways. Gorakhpur Junction railway station is known for having one of the longest railway platforms in the world. The city is connected by National Highways to Lucknow, Varanasi and the Indo-Nepal border at Sonauli. Mahayogi Gorakhnath Airport (also referred to as Gorakhpur Airport) provides civil air connectivity and operates from a defence airfield of the Indian Air Force.