Gorakhnath Temple

The city of Gorakhpur takes its very name from this temple, the principal seat of Guru Gorakhnath, the master yogi of the Nath tradition whose teachings on hatha yoga shaped spiritual practice across India and beyond.

History of the Temple

Guru Gorakhnath is honoured as the foremost disciple of Matsyendranath and the systematiser of the Nath sampradaya. The temple complex has been the tradition’s headquarters for centuries, its mahants guiding an unbroken lineage of yogis.

Significance of the Temple

The temple’s most beloved festival is the Khichdi Mela, which begins on Makar Sankranti and continues for a month. Lakhs of devotees offer khichdi, rice and lentils cooked together, to Baba Gorakhnath, a tradition said to have begun when the guru blessed a humble household’s simple food above royal feasts. The sprawling complex, with its lake, shrines and gaushala, is a city of devotion within the city.

What to Experience

Khichdi Mela

One of eastern India’s great fairs, where the offering itself feeds thousands daily.

The Nath tradition up close

The temple museum and shrines introduce the yogic lineage that carried hatha yoga to the world.