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.

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. 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 www.nerailway.gov.in and an industrial area, GIDA [Gorakhpur Development Authority] 15km from the old town.

n ancient times the geographical area of Gorakhpur included the modern districts of Basti, Deoria, 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 kingdom of Koshala, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas (states) in 6th century BCE India.

Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism, 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. The city is also associated with the travels of Lord Buddha's contemporary Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism.

In the 10th century, the Tharu king Mausen of Madan Singh ruled over Gorakhpur city and the adjoining area.

In medieval times, the city was home to the medieval Hindu saint Gorakshanath, who gave the city its name. The date of Gorakshanath's birth has not yet been settled, but he probably lived in the twelfth century. The site of his samadhi (ecstasy) at Gorakhpur attracts a large number of pilgrims every year.

Gorakhpur came under direct British control in 1803. It was one of major centers of the 1857 uprising, and later played a major role in the Indian independence movement.

Geographical Area 3483.8 sq. km.
Total Population(2001) 3,769,456
Sex Ratio (2001) 959
Rural Population ( 80.40% ) (2001) 3,030,865
Urban Population ( 19.60% ) (2001) 738,591
Total Literates ( 43.3% ) (1991) 1,055,582

Gorakhpur is famous for handwoven fabric made on a Hathkargha, a hand-operated loom and Terracota

The GolGhar shopping district in almost the geographical center of the city includes several major shops, hotels, banks, and restaurants, as well as the Baldev Plaza shopping mall. Other malls, such as Crossroads mall, can also be found in Gorakhpur.there is a three screened "city" multiplex . The education system is quite good.

Literature
The mystic poet and famous saint Kabir (1440-1518) lived and worked in Maghar, a village 20 km from Gorakhpur. Here, most of his beautiful poems, urging his countrymen to live in peace and religious harmony, were composed. Kabir's burial place in Maghar attracts a large number of pilgrims.

Munshi Premchand (1880-1936), one of India's great Hindi novelists, lived in Gorakhpur. The house where he lived and wrote still stands in a park named Munshi Premchand Park.

Firaq Gorakhpuri (1896-1982) (Raghupati Sahay), the famous Urdu poet, grew up in Gorakhpur, where his childhood home still stands. He later moved to Allahabad where he was a professor of English at Allahabad University.

Urdu poet Mohd. Umar Khan Umar, a disciple of renowned Shair Dagh Dehelvi, also belonged to Gorakhpur. A collection of his selected poetry entitled Bada-i- Kuhna (The Old Wine) has recently been published. Gorakhpur is also the home of the Gita Press the publication group who published GITA first in the world as a book before this Gita was only on the toungs of scholar Brahmins, the world famous publisher of Hindu religious books, including 'Kalyan' magazine. The publishing company is located in a building with marble walls inscribed with the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, and hung with paintings depicting the lives of Rama and Krishna.

The three-wheeled, pedal powered cycle rickshaw is the basic mode of transport in the city. The city is in a growing stage and lacks the infrastructure for a city wide bus service.

Gorakhpur mahanagar bus seva and auto rickshaw and private taxis are the allied mode of transport in the city though the past year has seen encourageable improvement in the quality of auto rickshaw service.The city is also served by a municipal bus service, auto rickshaws and taxicabs.

Railway station
Railway station is the head quarters of NE Railway. It connects to almost every major city in India. Direct trains connect to Pune (Poona), Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi and other cities. All major cities of India are directly connected by trains through Gorakhpur.

Roads
Main roads intersect at Gorakhpur, including NH 28 and 29. Some important distances are: Lucknow 276 km, Varanasi 231 km, Allahabad 339 km, Agra 624 km, Delhi 783 km and Mumbai 1690 km.

Air Transport
Gorakhpur has an Airport & Its located 6 km (East) from the city centre. It caters to Indian Air Force Related Traffic . At Present there are few Domestic Airline including JETLITE AIRWAYS which is allowed to operate Civilian Transportation Services at the Airport due to some possible security consideration.flights services to Mumbai, delhi, kolkata,allhabad etc.