Gorakhpur City Map Poster

About Gorakhpur

Gorakhpur is a religious centre with many Hindu temples, including the Gorakhnath Math. The city has been continuously inhabited since the 6th century CE and was ruled by several medieval era rulers. It came under British rule in 1803 and became a major garrison town of the Bengal Army after its capture during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After India's independence in 1947, it joined Uttar Pradesh state as its district headquarters but continued to be called "Gorakshapur" until 1967 when it was renamed "Gorakhpur". The name Gorakhpur comes from Sanskrit meaning village or town of Guru Gorakshanath (a famous saint). According to legend, one day while travelling through this region he saw some people who were very sick; they told him that their illness had come because their king had cursed them for not showing respect towards his guru-disciple relationship with Shiva (who is also known as Mahadev).