Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur
गोरखपुर | |
|---|---|
City | |
 | |
| Nickname: Nath Nagar | |
| Country | India |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| District | Gorakhpur |
| Elevation | 89 m (292 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 636,275 |
| • Density | 1,337/km2 (3,460/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 2730XX |
| Telephone code | +91-551 |
| Vehicle registration | UP 53 |
| Sex ratio | 1000/944 ♂/♀ |
| Avg. annual temperature | 26 °C (79 °F) |
| Avg. summer temperature | 40 °C (104 °F) |
| Avg. winter temperature | 18 °C (64 °F) |
| Website | gorakhpur |
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. The city is also home to many historic Buddhist sites, Imambara, an 18th-century dargah, and the Gita Press, a publisher of Hindu religious texts. It is also the headquarters of North Eastern Railways.
Gorakhpur is considered a religious center containing many historic temples and sites for both Hinduism and Buddhism. It is named after the ascetic Guru Gorakshnath a saint that popularized “Hath Yoga” a form of yoga which concentrates on mastering natural power. The Gorakhnath Temple where he studied is a major tourist attraction in the city of Gorakhpur.
Origin of name
The city and district of Gorakhpur are named after a renowned ascetic saint, Gorakshanath, the chief disciple of the yogi Matsyendranath. Together, Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath founded the Nath Sampradaya line of saints. Gorakhnath Temple is said to stand on the spot where Gorakshanath practiced Hatha Yoga to develop self-control. and the old name of the Gorakhpur is (Moazzaman bad)
Location
The district of Gorakhpur lies between Lat. 26°13′N and 27°29′N and Long. 83°05′E and 83°56′E. The district occupies the north-eastern corner of the state along with the district of Deoria, and comprises a large stretch of country lying to the north of the river Rapti, the deep stream of which forms its southern boundary with the Azamgarh district. On the west, the boundary marches along Basti and on the east adjoins Deoria and the Chhoti Gandak Nadi and further south the Jharna Nala forms the dividing line. To the north lies Nepal. The city is 270 km distant from state capital Lucknow.
Geography
It is located on the bank of river Rapti and Rohani, a Ganges tributary originating in Nepal that sometimes causes severe floods. The Rapti is interconnected through many other small rivers following meandering courses across the Gangetic Plain. Situated on the basin of rivers Rapti and Rohini the geographical shape of the Gorakhpur City is of bowl. The west of the city is guarded by cool Rapti River while the east is associated with Sal Forest, giving the divine sense of peace with cool breezes. The south is showered with the power of excellence, in shape of greenish Ramgarh Tal and north is the plinth of city's advancement.
The district presents characteristics distinct from natural features of the western districts of Uttar Pradesh. This difference is due primarily to the relative proximity of the Himalayas, the outermost foothills of which are only a few kilometres from the northern borders. The peak of Dhaulagiri, some 8,230 meters above sea-level, is visible under favourable climatic conditions as far south as Gorakhpur itself.
Climate
The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa" (Humid Subtropical Climate).[1]
| Climate data for Gorakhpur | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 23.2 (73.8) |
26.5 (79.7) |
32.7 (90.9) |
37.9 (100.2) |
39.5 (103.1) |
37.2 (99.0) |
33.2 (91.8) |
32.7 (90.9) |
33.1 (91.6) |
32.6 (90.7) |
29.3 (84.7) |
24.6 (76.3) |
31.9 (89.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 9.5 (49.1) |
12.0 (53.6) |
16.9 (62.4) |
22.3 (72.1) |
25.2 (77.4) |
26.2 (79.2) |
25.7 (78.3) |
25.5 (77.9) |
24.7 (76.5) |
21.2 (70.2) |
15.0 (59.0) |
10.6 (51.1) |
19.6 (67.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 21.7 (0.85) |
11.4 (0.45) |
10.2 (0.40) |
13.7 (0.54) |
27.4 (1.08) |
163.6 (6.44) |
322.3 (12.69) |
349.5 (13.76) |
213.9 (8.42) |
83.8 (3.30) |
4.5 (0.18) |
6.1 (0.24) |
1,228.1 (48.35) |
| Source: IMD[dead link] | |||||||||||||
Below the outer hills is a dry boulder-strewn tract, corresponding to the Bhabar of Kumaun and Garhwal and here the bulk of the moisture contributed by the rainfall and the small streams is absorbed by the soil, to reappear through seepage in the damp and unhealthy tract, known as the terai. The latter comprises a belt some 16 km. in width, running along the northern borders of Maharajganj district. It is extensively cultivated.
Geology
The district geology is primarily river born alluvium. Few mineral products are mined in Gorakhpur, with the most common being a nodular limestone conglomerate known as kankar, brick, and salt petre. The last occurs principally in the south and south-east and is manufactured for export. Lime is obtained by burning kankar. Brick clay is abundant everywhere and bricks are made in the district. The soil in the district is light sandy or dense clay of yellowish brown colour. The sand found in the rivers is medium to coarse grained, greyish white to brownish in colour and is suitable for construction.
Demographics
In 2011, Gorakhpur had population of 4,440,895 of which male and female were 2,277,777 and 2,163,118 respectively. In 2001 census, Gorakhpur had a population of 3,769,456 of which males were 1,923,197 and remaining 1,846,259 were females. Gorakhpur District population constituted 2.22 percent of total Maharashtra population. In 2001 census, this figure for Gorakhpur District was at 2.27 percent of Maharashtra population.There was change of 17.81 percent in the population compared to population as per 2001. In the previous census of India 2001, Gorakhpur District recorded increase of 22.94 percent to its population compared to 1991.
Economy
The economy of Gorakhpur Mahanagar is primarily based on the service industry.People from all over Purvanchal (Eastern U.P) migrate to the city for education, medical and other facilities which are better than those found in rural areas. There are branches of all major nationalized banks as well as of private banks in the city, most of which are found along Bank Road, named as it was the location of Garakhpur's first bank, the Kayastha Bank, which was opened in 1906. Later on at this place a branch of Imperial Bank of India was opened in 1923. The Imperial Bank of India was converted into State Bank of India by an act of parliament (State Bank of India Act 1955). The main branch of State Bank of India still exists here along with other business process re-engineering units like SARC (Stressed Assets Recovery Centre), CCPC (Centralised Clearing Processing Cell).
B R D Medical College, Civil Hospital,L N M Railway Hospital, Hanuman Prasad Poddar Cancer Hospital, Kushth Sewa Ashram, Agrawal are some of the hospitals in the city.
The central business district of the city, Golghar, located near the geographical centre includes several major shops, hotels and restaurants, as well as the Rapti Complex, Baldev Plaza, Mangalam Tower and City shopping malls. The Rapti Complex, built in 1987, is the oldest complex in the area. Here one can find all the of all major brands of apparel, jewellary, shoes, cosmetics and electronics goods. The Buxipur area is the location for one of the biggest book markets in North Eastern Uttar Pradesh.
History
Ancient
In ancient times the geographical area of Gorakhpur included the modern districts of Basti, Deoria, Kushinagar, Azamgarh. According to Vedic writings, the earliest known monarch ruling over this region with his capital at Ayodhya was Iksvaku, founder of the Solar dynasty. The solar dynasty produced a number of kings; Rama of the Ramayana is most well-known. The entire region was an important centre of Aryan culture and civilization, a part of the famous kingdoms of Koshala and Malla, two of the sixteen Mahajanapadas (states) in 6th century BCE India. The region also formed part of Aryavart and Madhyadesh
Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism, who was born at Kapilvastu in Nepal, renounced his princely clothing at the confluence of the rivers Rapti and Rohini, near Gorakhpur, before setting out on his quest of truth in 600 BCE. Later he died in the courtyard of Mall King Sastipal Mall at his capital Kushinara which is now known as Kushinagar, there is a monument to this effect at Kushinagar even today. The city is also associated with the travels of Lord Buddha's contemporary Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism. Lord Mahavira was born at a place not very far from Gorakhpur. Later he took his mahaparinirvan at his maternal uncle's palace at Pava which is about 15 kilometers from Kushinagar(Pavapuri and Kushinara were the twin capital of Mall dynasty which was part 16 Mahajanpads of ancient India). Malla dynasty was following democratic way of governance from their Santhagara and thus Gorakhpur is also the part of ancient Gana sangha. There is a mention in the epic Mahabharata that Prince Bhim, the younger brother of King Yudhistr had visited Gorakhpur to invite saint Gorakhnath to attend his Rajsuuya Yagna.
After the Iksvaku dynasty was conquered by Magadha's Nanda Dynasty in the 4th century BC, Gorakhpur became in turn part of the Maurya, Shunga, Kushana, Gupta and Harsha empires. The great emperor of India Chandragupta maurya belonged to Moriyas, a Kshatriya (warrior) clan of a little ancient republic of Pippalivana located between Rummindei in the Nepali Tarai and Kasia in the Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh.
In the 10th century, the Tharu king of Mausen Madan Singh ruled over Gorakhpur city and the adjoining area. Gorakhpur was also birthplace of King Vikas Sankrityayan.
Medieval
In medieval times, the city was home to the medieval Hindu saint Gorakhnath, who gave the city its name. The date of Gorakhnath's birth has not yet been settled, but he probably lived in the twelfth century. The site of his samādhi (ecstasy) at Gorakhpur attracts a large number of pilgrims every year.
In the 12th century, the Gorakhpur region, as much of northern India, was conquered by the Muslim ruler Muhammad Ghori. The region remained under the influence of Muslim rulers, such as Qutb-ud-din Aybak and Bahadur Shah[disambiguation needed], for some centuries. In the early 16th century, the mystic poet and famous saint Kabir lived and worked in Maghar, a village 20 km from Gorakhpur, where his burial place still attracts many pilgrims.
On Akbar's reorganisation of the empire in the 16th century, Gorakhpur gave its name to one of the five Sarkars (administrative units) in the province of Awadh.
Imambara, an 18th-century dargah, is located about 2 km from the railway station in Gorakhpur. Imambara is the dargah of Roshan Ali Shah, a Sufi saint. It preserves a dhuni (smoke fire), and is famous for its gold and silver Tazia[clarification needed]. and today this seat of Sufi is continue from 300 year ago.[clarification needed] today janab anan farooq ali shah (miyan sahab) is the gadinashin of imambara.[citation needed]
Modern
Gorakhpur came under direct British control in 1803. It was one of the major centers of the 1857 uprising, and later played a major role in the Indian independence movement.
Gorakhpur district was the scene of the Chauri Chaura incident[2] of February 4, 1922, which was a turning point in the history of India's freedom struggle. Enraged by police atrocities, a crowd of 2,000 people burnt down the Chauri-Chaura.Police Station, killing nineteen policemen. In response to this violence, Mahatma Gandhi called off the Non-Cooperation Movement that he had launched in 1920 and fasted for 21 days, until he was satisfied that all Non-Cooperation Movement activities had ceased.Born at Shahjahanpur city of Uttar Pradesh, Ram Prasad Bismil was a great revolutionary and believed in armed struggle against the British rulers. As the main accused in the famous Kakori conspiracy case of 1925 he was hanged to death in Gorakhpur District Jail on 19 December 1927. From the condemned cell of this historic jail he wrote his autobiography which was banned by the British Government. From the gallows of Gorakhpur jail he spoke his last will – " I wish the downfall of the British Empire " which became true after 20 years. His martyrdom at prime age inspired the people of Gorakhpur particularly and the nation to advance the freedom struggle to its logical end. His last rites were performed at Rajghat on the bank of Rapti river where about 1.5 lacs of people were present.
Administrative structure
Gorakhpur is the headquarter of Gorakhpur Division and District. Gorakhpur division comprises four districts, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Mahrajganj and Kushinagar.As a basic administration unit the district, has assumed a greater development and regulatory role consequent to emphasis on decentralised planning. It is divided into seven Tehsils ( Revenue Sub- Divisions) presided over by a Sub Divisional Magistrate. Tehsils are further subdivided into nineteen Development Blocks, Blocks into 191 Nyay Panchayat and these Nyay Panchayats into 1233 Gram Sabhas which consists of 3319 Revenue villages. The District Administrative unit is shown as:
| Unit | No. |
|---|---|
| Number of Tehsil | 7 |
| Number of Blocks | 19 |
| Number of Nyay Panchayat | 191 |
| Number of Gram sabha | 1233 |
| Number of Villages | 3319 |
Division of District into Tehsils and Blocks is shown below:
| Name of Tehsil | Name of Block |
|---|---|
| Sadar | Jungle Kaudia, Chargawa, Bhathat, Khorabar, Pipraich |
| Chauri Chaura | Sardarnagar, Brahmpur |
| Sahjanawa | Pali, Piprauli, Sahjanwa |
| Khajni | Khajni, Belghat |
| Campierganj | Campierganj |
| Bansgaon | Bansgaon, Kauriram, Gagaha |
| Gola | Gola, Barhalganj, Uruwa |
Political Representation
There are two Loksabha constituencies and nine assembly seats in the district of Gorakhpur. The sitting MPs are as follows
1. Number of Loksabha Seats - 02
| S No. | Name of Constituency | Name of Member | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 64-Gorakhpur | Adityanath Yogi | BJP |
| 2 | 67-Bansgaon | Kamlesh Paswan | BJP |
2. Number of Assembly Seats - 09
The sitting MLAs are as follows
| S No. | Name of Constituency | Name of Member | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 327-Bansgaon | Dr. Vijay Kumar | BSP |
| 2 | 325-Khajani | Sant prashad | BJP |
| 3 | 328-Chillupar | Rajesh Tripathi | BSP |
| 4 | 320-Campiarganj | Fatehbahadur singh | NCP |
| 5 | 327-Chauri chaura | Jai Prakash Nishad | BSP |
| 6 | 321-Pipraich | Rajmati Devi | SP |
| 7 | 322-Gorakhpur | R M D Agarwal | BJP |
| 8 | 323-Gorakhpur Rural | Vijay Bahadur Yadav | BJP |
| 9 | 324-Sahjanwan | Rajendra Singh | BSP |
3. Members of Vidhan Parishad - 02
| S No. | Name of Member | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ganesh Shankar Pandey | BSP |
| 2 | Devendra Pratap Singh | SP |
4. Head Local Bodies
| S No. | Name of Local Body | Name of Member | Designation | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nagar Nigam | Dr. Satya Pandey | Mayor | BJP |
| 2 | Zila Panchayat | Sadhana Singh | Chairman |
Religious Places in Gorakhpur
- Gorakhnath Temple
Gorakshanath temple is a symbol of the identity of the city. The city itself was named after Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath. According to popular belief Guru Gorakhnath did tapasya in Treta Yug at the place where the magnificent temple stands today. The temple is built on 52 acre of land in the heart of the city on Gorakhpur-Sonauli state highway. It is not only a peeth of the Nath sect but an example of Indian sculpture. In the garbh grih of the temple, Guru Gorakhnath is depicted as an incarnation of Lord Shiva in deep meditation. His charan paduka has been kept near his meditation site. The sacred pond (Mansarover) situated in the east has been now converted into a boating place by the temple authorities. The temple literature reveals that the temple structure and shape was changed from time to tme. It is also said that several attempts were made to demolish the temple during Mughal period. The present form of the teple was conceptualized by late Mahant Digvijaynath and present head priest of the temple Mahant Aveiydyanath.
Though large number of devotees of guru Gorakhnath visits the temple every day but their number increase many folds on every Tuesday and Saturday. Thousands od devotees assemble in the temple premises during the famous Khichari mela (January 14 onwards) which is the main festival of the temple.
- Leela Chitra Mandir, Geeta Press
Leela Chitra Mandir situated in a magnificent hall in the premises of Geeta Press exhibits the pictorial are trend of the country from time to time. There are approximately 700 pictures (including paintings) related to earthy sojourn and pastimes of Lord Rama and Krishna. During the Gita Jayanti week this Chitra Mandir is decorated tastefully.
Satyamvad, Dharamamchar(speak truth and practice dharma)is the inscription at the main gate of Gita press which was inaugurated by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India on April 29, 1955.Gita Press Gate, with its pillars inspired from the cave temples of Ellora, the gopuram, by Meenakshi temple, Madurai.
- Vishnu Mandir
The famous temple associated with a large Idol of God Vishnu made in 12th Century "Pal Kalin Kalin Kasauti" Stone. Ramleela is organized on the eve of Festival Dussehera here and the procession is so grand and in a very traditional that it fetches the tourist visit in the season.
- Arogya Mandir
Arogya Mandir, established by Late Sri. Bitthal Das Modi in 1940. The new and beautiful building was completed in 1961. It is approximately 2 km away from Gorakhpur city and 4 km from Rly. Station. It is made in an open area and covered with hundreds of eucalyptus and mango trees. The concept of treatment is Naturopathy.
- Suraj Kund
Sun temples are rare in India or abroad. The people of Gorakhpur are lucky to have one sun temple, which is located in the north western part of the city, beyond railway line. It wide range of 10 acres of land. The main temple is located in the middle of the tank & is surrounded by water from all sides. It is one of the 26 Surya Kund of the Country and it is believed to be the worshipping & resting places of Lord Ram. Presently Kali temple, Annapurna temple & Ram Sita temple do also exist here. About 100–125 years ago, Baba Muneshwar Das, who was an ardent worshipper of Lord Sun, is said have dug the present Suraj Kund (tank) himself to initiate the worshipping of Lord Sun & Lord Laxmi Narayan.
Sant Kabir a mystic poet & a well-known saint left his mortal coil here. The great personality taught the lesson of brotherhood after death too. When the town was panic stricken with the news of death of the deity, some naughty ailments tried to make it an issue of religious conflict. But the great sole still cared for his people and in the due course of discussion between Hindus & Muslims that he will be buried or burnt, the body disappeared replaced by heap of flowers. The flowers were then divided into half and Muslims buried it whereas Hindus burnt it. Hindus built Samadhi Mandir at the very place where they burnt their flowers & Muslims made Makbara at the very place where they buried there part of flowers. This unique example of co-existence of Hindu-Muslim harmony and peace is visible today in Maghar. Behind the Samadhi-Makbara there is a cave in which Sant Kabir used to perform his deep 'Tapasya'. The present façade and shape of cave is restored by earthwork for about hundred years ago. 'Kabir-Dhuni' and 'Gorakh talaiya' are located about 1 km away from Samadhi near Kasarwal village on National Highway.
- Imambara
The Imambara—abode of imams—is a well known landmark of Gorakhpur. Its history begins with the advent of Syed Roshan Ali Shah in Gorakhpur in 1774. His father Syed Ghulam Ashraf, a native of Bakhara, had come to Delhi during the reign of Modammad Shah. He fled from Delhi during one of the invasion of Ahmad Shah Abdali. He finally settled at Shahpur. His son Syed Roshan Ali Shah left him and came to Gorakhpur where he inherited a sizable land from his maternal grandfather in mohalla Daud Chak (now Mian Bazzar). He decided to build an Imambara on his land and changed the name of Daud Chak to Imamganj. Raja Pahalwan Singh of Satari donateed mauza Kusmahi along with the jungles in 1793 for Niyaz Imam Saheb. Nawab Asif-ud-Daulah, the Shia ruler of Oudh, offer a grant of 16 villages, Rs. 10,000 cash and a silver Tazia in 1796 to Roshan Ali Shah. With rhis grant Shah built a pucca enclosure around the central Imambara and added other edifices to it.
- Lehra Devi Temple
It is believed that while wandering in the forest for 14 years, Pandavas lived a year in disguise. They visited the Lehra town and were offered shelter by Lehra Devi. Once Maa came to the town as a beautiful girl and wanted to cross the river. She hired a boat and started the journey but in middle of the river the boatman grew interested in her splendid beauty and went off track. As soon as Devi understood his intention she disappeared with the boat. In the Kalyug she was seen with the boat to her followers who made a temple at the very place. It is believed that if a person visits the temple for regular 5 Tuesdays, his wishes are fulfilled.
- Budhia mai Temple
The famous Budhiya Mai temple is situated in the lush and green milieu of Kushmi Jungle. Thousands of devotees throng it to offer their prayer everyday during navrati.
- Saint John's Church
This Church comes under the Diocese of Lucknow, Church of North India and is located in the Basharatpur locality of Gorakhpur, U.P. at a distance of about 5 km from railway station.
- Saint Andrew's Church
- Believer's Church India
Industry and Government Establishments
North Eastern Railway Headquarters And Mechanical Workshop
Gorakhpur is also the headquarters of North Eastern Railways.[3] The mechanical workshop, NER, Gorakhpur was established in 1903. Steam engines were maintained here for a long time, but now diesel engines, coaches, and wagons are the main subjects of maintenance here.
Air Force Station
An air force station in Gorakhpur was established in 1963 as Gorakhpur Airport, with a variety of planes and services, most notably Jaguar fighter planes and the second oldest helicopter unit of Indian Air Force (No. 105 Helicopter Unit). It is one of the biggest air force stations in Asia.[4]
e where aircraft regularly land and take off, with runways, navigational aids, and major facilities for the commercial handling of passengers and cargo in the country of India.
Its center lies at a latitude of 26.7397100 and longitude of 83.4497100and it has an elevation of 88 meters above sea level.Gorakhpur Airport also goes by the names, GOP, Gorakhpur, Gorakhpur Airport, VEGK. The air force station, Gorakhpur which is extremely vital for the Defence of the eastern part of the country is equipped with the latest and most sophisticated fighter and bomber planes and equipments and it comes under the Central Air Command (CAC) head-quartered at Bamrauli,Allahabad.It has Jaguar fighter planes.It also has a jaguar training center.The second oldest helicopter unit of Indian Air Force (NO. 105 Helicopter Unit) moved to Air Force Station Gorakhpur in August 1987. Immediately after moving to Gorakhpur the unit carried out extensive flood relief operation in Bihar. Again in 1991 unit carried out flood relief operations in Orissa Ex-Bhubaneswar. Recently this unit carried out Ex-Frog i.e. Flood Relief a rescue Operations in Gorakhpur and Bihar.
Gorakha Recruitment Depot
Gorkha Recruitment depot,one of the selection centers of Gorkha soldiers for Indian army is situated in Gorakhpur. This gorkha Recruitment Depot is the only one of its kind in the country.It recruits the Gorkhas of Nepalese origin from the Anchals of Mahakali, Seti, Bheri, Rapti, Karnali, Dhaulagiri, Lumbini and Gandaki of Nepal.It was established in 1886.
Media
Gorakhpur has all India radio and Doordarshan broadcasting and relay centres of its own. A number of Hindi newspapers including Dainik Jagran, Hindustan, Amar Ujala, Aaj, and Rashtriya Sahara are lead newspapers printed in the city. The FM radio station, Radio Mantra (91.9 MHz) from Jagran Group also operates in the city.
Culture
Cuisine
Traditional cuisine includes platters of Galawati and Kakori kababs in Oudh and fish. Wheat, rice, gram, maize, and pulses along with curd, milk, vegetables, ghee and vegetable oils, constitute the items of daily food, rice being the staple food of the people.
Art
Terracotta Town Situated at a distance of 9 to 17 km from Gorakhpur city, there are many villages, which are famous for terracotta products.
Music
One of the main features of Gorakhpur's culture is a tradition of folk-songs and folk-dances. Folk-songs are also performed at various festivals during the year. The kaharwa is sung at Deepawali, the Alha and the kajari during the rainy and winter nights, and the Phaag during Holi.One of the biggest part of Gorakhpur’s culture is the tradition of folk-songs and folk-dances. This is a very artistic vivid part of Gorakhpur’s culture. After a long day of work they unwind with singing and dancing. They have different dances and songs for special occasions also. Folk-songs are performed at different festivals and seasons during the year. They sing the kaharwa at Deepawali, the Alha, Kajri,k Barahmasi during the rainy and winter nights, and the Phaag during Holi. The people of Gorakhpur use the harmonium, dholak, manjira, mridung, nagara, thali, and nagara as musical instruments when they perform. Some of the most popular folk-dances is saved for the special occasion of festivals, fairs, and marriages to celebrate. Gorakhpur’s heritage of songs and dances is an important part of their culture.
Entertainment
As elsewhere in India, cinema is most popular means of entertainment in Gorakhphur. There are ten cinema halls in the district with a combined capacity of six thousand seats. Documentaries and mobile cinema cater for the rural areas of the district. Dramatic societies and circuses also visit the district. SRS Cinemas brings multiplex experience to Gorakhpur. Champa devi Water Park is a newly added attraction to Gorakhpur city providing water sports & amusement facilities to the residents of the region. The water park has got rides for every age group & to suit every one's taste. Dangal (wrestling matches), nautanki (indigenous open-air dramatic performances), bhajan and qawwali programmes, and mushaira are also arranged at different places from time to time. Ramlila and Krishnalila provide alternative entertainment.
- Neer Nikunj Water Park
This newly added attraction of Gorakhpur city provides water sports and amusement facilities to the residents of Gorakhpur region. The water park has got rides for every age group & to suit every one's taste, viz., family rides, adult rides & children rides. Amusement park is equipped with- bowling alley, shooting range, toy train, paint ball, go carting, dance floor, musical rides, merry go round, bull rides, caterpillar and many more. Food outlets, activity games, gaming arcade are other attractions of the park. Banquet hall & a lawn are also there for company/corporate meetings & other functions. It is the biggest water park of uttar pradesh.
- Vinod Van
Vinod Van is one of the biggest zoos of East Uttar Pradesh. It is situated in the lush and green forest of Kushmi Jungle. There are large no. of animals here like deers, antelopes, cheetal, monkeys, Neelgay, snakes, rabbits,crocodiles. It also has an aviary that has a variety of species of birds.
- Rail museum
The city also has a rail museum where the history and antique locomotives of Indian railways can be seen. The museum also has a toy train for children. There is an A.C. food plaza in the museum also. The rail museum is situated near the headquarters of North Eastern Railway. This rail museum and amusement park is a newly added attraction of the city, which was inaugurated on 2 July 2007 and is one of its own kinds in Uttar Pradesh. The museum displays the development of NER economically, technically, as well as culturally. The major attraction of this museum is Lord Lawrence's steam engine, which was built in 1874 in London and brought to India by sea. It was the first engines that was used by NER, once it became operational. The museum also houses a gallery which has many significant articles, such as clocks used in saloons, furniture, uniforms used by railway men at different times, a photo gallery, materials pertaining to railway traffic control, library etc. A toy train ride is also available for children. A unique food plaza housed in a railway compartment adds to the attraction of this place.
- Lord Buddha sangrahalay
There is a buddhist museum called Lord Buddha sangrahalay near Taramandal which attracts thousands of tourists from East and South-East Asian countries every year. The museum houses a lot of things related to Lord Buddha and his life.Govt. Buddha Museum Gorakhpur was established in 1987 but the present building came into existence in 1997. The museum's main aim is the collection, preservation, documentation, exhibition of the cultural property and to make them available for educational activities to create awareness about the glorious past. It show cases items like age old sculpture, figurines, terracotta items, beads etc. Most of the objects here are rare and priceless. Presently four galleries are on display in the museum. About 2023 pieces of metal and stone sculptures, terracotta, potteries, thankas, miniature paintings etc. have been displayed in the galleries. In the second gallery, miniature paintings of Rajasthani, Pahari and Bundi style are on display. In the third gallery Hindu sculptures are displayed which are very useful for iconographical study. In the fourth gallery terracotta from various Buddhist sites like Sarnath, Rajdhani, Kopia and other places are on display. Animal figures, pots, seals, Suka-Sarika, eight headed Ganesha, dakini (a baby eater), human figures ranging from Maurayan period down to Gupta period certainly deserve appreciation from the visitors.
- Veer Bahadur Singh Planetarium
The city also boasts of a state of the art planetarium at Taramandal. It has become new destination for students who want to explore about the planets and the universe. Veer Bahadur Singh Planetarium was re-opened for public from 21 December 2009. This planetarium is based on Digital Technology. Six CRT based projectors are installed by Evans & Sutherland, USA.
Lakes In Gorakhpur
Ramgarh Taal is a lake located near Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. It covers an area of 723 hectares and its embankment is 18 km long.On the south-east of Gorakhpur city and the south side of the metalled road to the kasia in Deoria district is the Ramgarh Tal. It was formerly covered, save during the rains, with a dense growth of reeds, which was cleared off for health reasons. An unsuccessful attempt was also made to drain off the water of this lake through a channel from the southern end into the Rapti. Ramgarh Tal has many fish and affords living to people in several villages on its banks.
The Bakhira Bird Sanctuary is the largest natural flood plain wetland in Sant Kabir Nagar district of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The sanctuary was established in 1980. It is situated 44 km west of Gorakhpur city. It is a vast stretch of water body expanding over an area of 29 km2. This is an important lake of eastern UP, which provides a wintering and staging ground for a number of migratory waterfowls and a breeding ground for resident birds. The sanctuary is named after the village Bakhira located adjacent to the lake along with as many as hundred and eight villages surrounding the lake within the 5 km radius. The villagers from the surrounding villages depend on the wetland for their livelihood in the form of fishing, agricultural activities and fuel wood collection.
Notable residents
- Leo Amery, British politician born here in 1873.
- Prem Chand, writer
- Raghupati Sahay, writer, critic
- Subrata Roy, businessman
- Hari Shankar Tiwari,ex-cabinet minister
- Prem Maya Sonir, hockey player
- Anurag Kashyap, film director and screenwriter
- Jimmy Shergill, actor
- Raj Shankar, biochemist
- Shakir Ali, barrister
- Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Bollywood composer duo
- Syed Modi, Badminton Player,Winner of Arjuna Award
- Billy Arjan Singh, hunter turned conservationist, author
- Raza Murad, actor
- Amrita Sher-Gil, painter
- Vaibhav Saxena, Bollywood music director
- Chunky Pandey, Bollywood actor
- Saurabh Shukla, actor
- Panne Lal Yadav, wrestler
- Narendra Hirwani International Cricket Player
Literature
Gita Press is a unit of Gobind Bhawan Karyalaya registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (presently governed by the West Bengal Societies Act, 1960).The institution's main objective is to promote and spread the principles of Sanatana Dharma, the Hindu religion, among the general public by publishing Gita, Ramayana, Upanishads, Puranas, Discourses of Saints and other books & magazines and marketing them at highly subsidised prices. The "Kalyan" in Hindi and the "Kalyana-Kalpataru" in English are monthly magazines brought out by the institution. Information about latest releases, and essays are provided in the house-magazine "Yug Kalyan".
Transport
Railways
Gorakhpur railway station is the headquarters of India's North Eastern Railway. It connects to almost every major city in India. Direct trains connect to Hyderabad, Chennai, Agra, Bhopal, Jhansi, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Trivandrum, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Pune, Siwan, Jammu, Amritsar and other distant parts of the nation. The station offers Class A railway station facilities. On October 6, 2013, Gorakhpur became the world's Longest Railway platform, after inauguration of the remodelled Gorakhpur Yard, with a stretch of around 1.35 kilometres (0.84 mi).[5][6][7][8] Formed on 14 April 1952 by combining two Railway systems and bifurcated into two Railway Zones on 15th Jan. 1958, the present N. E. Railway (NER), after re-organisation of Railway Zones in 2002, comprises three Divisions - Varanasi, Lucknow & Izatnagar. NER has 3402.46 route km with 486 stations. NER primarily serves the areas of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarkhand & western districts of Bihar. Gorakhpur is amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.[8] It handles over 189 trains and about 270,000 passengers daily.[9] Some of the other railway stations in Uttar Pradesh handling large number of passengers are Kanpur Central (597,000 passengers daily),[10] Varanasi Junction (363,000),[11] Mathura Junction (381,000)[12] and Mughalsarai (417,000).[13]
Roadways
Major national highways intersect at Gorakhpur, including NH 28 and 29. Some important distances are: Siwan 120 km, Kushinagar 50 km, Kanpur 359 km,Lucknow 276 km, Varanasi 231 km, Allahabad 339 km, Agra 624 km, Delhi 783 km, Kolkata 770 km, Gwalior 730 km, Bhopal 922 km; Bahraich 232 km and Mumbai 1690 km. Frequent bus services are available for most of these cities.Considerable improvement in this aspect is expected after the completion of the east-west corridor road project that enhances Gorakhpur's road connectivity. There are two bus station in gorakhpur One named railway bus stand which is nearest to railway station, and the other one is at Civil lines.Gorakhpur has buses to sonauli and kathmandu.
Airlines
Gorakhpur is served by an airport located 6 km east from the city centre named Kasia airport but officially its Gorakhpur Airport. It caters primarily to Indian Air Force traffic. A small number of domestic airlines operate civil aviation services to Delhi, Mumbai and elsewhere. Gorakhpur is also host to many tourists who use it as a hub to travel to Lord Buddha's pilgrimage sites. Actually gorakhpur airport is Indian Air Force Base base. Its main constituents are two squadrons of SPECAT Jaguar fighter planes.
Education
Gorakhpur has a 2 residential Universities, Medical College and Degree colleges for the students of the eastern region of Uttar Pradesh.
References
- ^ Climate Summary for Gorakhpur (from Weatherbase.com)
- ^ Nishant Batsha, “Gandhi and Chauri Chaura: A Lacanian Reinterpretation of Gandhi through the Chauri Chaura Riot,” intersections 10, no. 3 (2009): 28–41.
- ^ North Eastern Railway. Ner.indianrailways.gov.in. Retrieved on 2011-10-21.
- ^ No. 105 Helicopter Unit. Indian Air Force
- ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Gorakhpur-gets-worlds-largest-railway-platform/articleshow/23616764.cms
- ^ http://www.mynews.in/News/gorakhpur_railway_station_to_have_longest_platform_in_asia_N33503.html
- ^ http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-06-02/varanasi/39690667_1_gorakhpur-railway-station-final-stage-cabway
- ^ "Gorakhpur gets world's longest railway platform". अमर उजाला (Amar Ujala). February 13, 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2013.