Gorakhpur city in Uttar Pradesh has been named after the medieval saint Guru Gorakhnath. It forms an important administrative and industrial landmark of Uttar Pradesh that is dominated by locals and visitors alike. Number of shrines including mosques and monasteries have pulled in a major chunk of pilgrim tourists to Gorakpur.
The famous Gorakhnath Temple epitomizes the identity of Gorakhpur. This is one of the prominent tourist attractions that enjoys a legendary location in the old part of the city on Gorakhpur Sunauli National Highway. One of the popular legend associated with this temple and Guru Gorakhnath is that devotees chanting Gorakhnath chalisa 12 times are blessed with the divya jyoti or the miraculous flame.
History of Gorakhpur Temple-
The temple was built on the spot where Gorakhnath did meditation in Treta Yug.
In the records of the temple it is revealed that the Gorakhpur Gorakhnath Temple structure and shape was transformed over the period of time. In fact many attempts were made to destroy this temple during the rule of the Sultanate and Mughal era. First it was the Alaudin Khilji who destroyed the Gorakhnath temple in 14th century and later it was destroyed by yet another devout Islamic ruler of India Aurangzeb in 18th century.
The design of this temple seen today is conceptualized by late Mahant Digvijaynath and the current Mahant Avedyanathji during the 19th century. The large complex of Gorakhnath Temple houses some shrines, temples, cowshed and pond.
Festivals celebrated here include-
The Khichdi Parv is observed every year on Makar Sankranti. Devotees visit the temple on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and offer khichdi to Gorakhnath Baba.Khichdi Parv is celebrated every year with dedication.
The beautiful structure of Gorakhnath temple-
The temple grounds reach across 52 acres of land in the heart of Gorakhpur. Within the temple are various hallways and rooms celebrating a variety of deities. First is Gorakhnath's personal chamber samadhi. The room once housed a statue of him but has since been replaced with footprints.Leading out of the chamber is a gallery of statues including Siva, Ganesh, Kali and Bhairav. Another room contains the nine Naths found in statue form accompanied with other statues.
When exiting the gallery surrounding Gorakhnath temple, there are other rooms and portraits allocated for other Hindu deities. Not only is the seat of Gorakhnath a defining feature of the temple, the eternal flame (Divya Jyoti) is also held in the temple. The temple maintains a cow shed Goshala on the premises as one of the many references to the life of Gorakhnath and the goals of maintaining the animal life. Away from the main temple, the residential spaces for current practicing ascetics can be found.
Gorakhnath Idol-
Important information-
Timings- 3AM to 10PM
Open- All days of week
After visiting the most prominent Gorakhdham Mandir in Gorakhpur, you can also explore other famous places that fall within the range of 5 kilometres and include Vishu Mandir, Kushmi Forest, Ambedkar Park, Railway Museum, and Nir Nikunj.
Image credits- google
