Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division and of baba goraksh nath.
Gorakhpur is famous as a religious centre: the city was home to Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Sikh saints and is named after the medieval saint Gorakshanath. Gorakhnath Temple is still the seat of the Nath sect.It is also the Birth place of the great saint Paramhansa Yogananda. The city is also home to many historic Buddhist sites and the Gita Press, a publisher of Hindu religious texts.
In the 20th century, Gorakhpur was a focal point in the Indian independence movement. Today, the city is also a business centre, hosting the headquarters of the North Eastern Railways, previously known as Bengal Nagpur Railways and an industrial area, GIDA [Gorakhpur Development Authority] 15 km from the old town. |
