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Uttar Pradesh is a state of India that is famous for its religious and cultural centers. One such center is Gorakhpur, which is located in eastern Uttar Pradesh. This is a city with both Hindu and Buddhist links and was once part of the famous ‘Koshla’ of lord Rama. Gorakhpur was once under the rule of Sishunaga, Maurya, Sunga and Nanda dynasties but is today a center of frequent Hindu-Muslim conflicts.
It was in the 12th century that the city grew in prominence when it became the center of the Hindu Tantrik and Ascetic, Baba Goraknath. He has influenced the Indians following his sect and his Samadhi is visited by thousands of pilgrims everyday. Gorakhpur is also the city where the poet and philosopher Kabir was born. Kabir’s tomb where you find the co-existence of ‘Samadhi’ and ‘Makbara’ in Maghar is today a major attraction of Gorakhpur. It was in the 20th century that Gorakhpur once again rose in prominence in the history of India. With the burning of a police station in a locality called Chauri Chaura during the Non-Cooperation Movement, Mahatma Gandhi had to withdraw the movement altogether. Gorakhpur is today famous for the Gita Press, which is considered to be an authority in the compilation and publishing of Hindu scriptures and other religious books. Its most famous publication is ‘Kalyan’ magazine. You can find all the 18 parts of the Shree Bhagwat Gita on its marble walls with other wall hangings and paintings depicting the life of Lord Ram and Krishna. So if you visit Gorakhpur, you have to visit this place. Gorakhpur is also famous for the birth of Saraswati Shishu Mandir, which are RSS run schools. It was in 1952 that some RSS workers considered educating children their mission of life and laid the foundation of their first school in Gorakhpur. The school was named after the goddess Saraswati and dedicated to children. There is also famous Masjid found in the old city of Gorakhpur called ‘Badi Masjid’ and a planetarium near Paidleganj in memory of a great politician of Gorakhpur. So it can be seen that Gorakhpur is a city that has to be visited to learn more about the history of India. |
