GorakhpurThe Nath-sect seat of Purvanchal — Gorakhnath Math, Gita Press’s scripture presses and Asia’s longest platform
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Gorakhpur in one minute
Gorakhpur — live weather, population, hidden places and cost of living, auto-updated.
Gorakhpur carries the name of the yogi Gorakhnath, whose seat — the Gorakhnath Math — still anchors the city’s spiritual calendar and its politics. It is also the home of Gita Press (1926), the world’s biggest publisher of Hindu scriptures, whose press-ink and prasad-bazaar economy hums beside the Ramgarh Tal lake. Census 2011 counted about 6.7 lakh in the corporation, 7.6 lakh in the UA.
Rails built the modern city — Gorakhpur Junction holds one of Asia’s longest railway platforms at roughly 1.3 km, and the yards, workshops and coaching depots feed thousands of families. The Buddha circuit orbits close (Kushmi Buddha Vihar, Kapilvastu and Lumbini across the Nepal border), while BRD Medical College’s encephalitis-fight legacy and the new AIIMS campus mark the city’s public-health resolve.
Fast facts
| Status | Municipal corporation |
| District | Gorakhpur (HQ) |
| Division | Gorakhpur |
| District population (2011) | 44,40,895 |
| City population (2011) | 6,73,446 (corp) — UA 7,61,825 |
| Elevation | ≈84 m on the Rapti plains |
| Landmark | Gorakhnath Math — Nath-sect seat |
| Languages | Hindi · Bhojpuri · Urdu · English |
| Main station | Gorakhpur Jn (GKP) — ~1.3 km platform |
| Press legacy | Gita Press (1926) — scripture publisher |
| Buddha orbit | Kushmi Vihar · Kapilvastu · Lumbini ~95 km |
| Nearest airport | Gorakhpur (GOP) — civil enclave |
| District literacy | 70.8% (2011) |
| Famous for | Gorakhnath Math · Gita Press · GKP |
City map
Demographics CENSUS 2011
Last official census — 2021 census deferred, estimates update on release.
6,73,446 residents
per 1,000 males
municipal area (2011)
≈74,079 children (est.)
🌟 Hidden & heritage places
Gorakhpur beyond the postcards — quiet places and lanes most guides skip.
Gorakhnath Math & temple
The living monastery of the Nath order — the makar-sankranti khichdi mela, the samadhi shrines and the Math’s white towers.
Directions ↗Gita Press & Geeta Vatika
The 1926 press that prints Gita and Ramcharitmanas by the million — the hand-composing halls and the Leela Chitra Ghar galleries.
Directions ↗Ramgarh Tal
The big natural lake — the boating corner, the lakeside promenade and the winter migratory guests.
Directions ↗Kushmi Buddha Vihar & museum
The stupa-style vihar and the district museum’s Buddhist sculptures — the circuit-stop for the Lumbini pilgrim road.
Directions ↗Gorakhpur Junction (GKP)
The platform of superlatives — a 1.3-km stretch, the Northeast-UP rail gateway and the yard workshops.
Directions ↗Arogya Mandir & town tanks
The old-town water heritage — step-tank corners and the morning-walk circuits of the mohallas.
Directions ↗Weekend getaways
Approximate road distances from Gorakhpur.
Cost of living
Indicative monthly estimates for a single person — verify locally before deciding.
| 1 BHK rent (city) | ₹3,000 – 6,000 / mo |
| 2 BHK rent (city) | ₹6,000 – 11,000 / mo |
| Meal at a local eatery | ₹70 – 150 |
| Groceries (single, month) | ₹3,500 – 5,500 |
| Utilities (basic) | ₹1,200 – 2,500 |
| Monthly total (est.) | ₹10,000 – 17,000 |
Estimates only · tier-2 city · updated with market data over time
Top industries
What actually runs Gorakhpur.
Gita Press publishing orbit
The scripture-printing economy — hand composing, binding halls and the bookshop distribution network.
Publishing ↗Junction, yards & workshops
GKP’s platform-city economy — the North Eastern Railway HQ orbit, loco care and the yard trades.
Rail hub ↗Sugarcane & paddy belt
The Purvanchal farm economy — sugar mills, rice-milling units and the mandi commissions.
Agro ↗DDU University & AIIMS
The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya university campus and the 2019 AIIMS — medical and engineering faculties.
Education ↗BRD Medical College & hospitals
The referral hospital of eastern UP — the encephalitis-care legacy and the nursing-education belt.
Health ↗Terracotta & bell-metal orbit
The district’s craft villages — terracotta figurines and the bell-metal workshops.
Craft ↗Bakshipur & Golghar markets
The trade quarters — cloth wholesale, general bazaars and the station-side retail.
Retail ↗Top restaurants & food
Where locals actually eat — local counters, classics and street institutions.
Golghar & Bakshipur food rows
The evening food lines — chaat counters, samosa carts and the jalebi mornings.
Directions ↗Bhojpuri thali houses
The regional kitchens — litti-chokha plates, bati, sattu parathas and the ghee-drizzled dals.
Directions ↗Peda & khurchan mithai houses
The sweet belt — Math-side peda boxes, khurchan trays and the festival tins.
Directions ↗Station-road grill rooms
The old grill streets — kebab plates, chicken-curry pots and the rumali-roti counters.
Directions ↗Civil Lines cafe strip
The new-city cafe mile — coffee counters, momo stands and the student crowds.
Directions ↗Style-verified from local guides · Sep 2026 · hours change — call ahead
Markets & shopping
Golghar & Ghantaghar
The old-city market pair — cloth arcades, jewellery rows and the wedding-shopping lanes.
Directions ↗Gita Press bookshop belt
The scripture-retail corner — spiritual books, calendars and the prasad-and-pooja aisles.
Directions ↗Civil Lines & malls
The modern retail — showrooms, multiplexes and the food-court weekends.
Directions ↗Festival & fair calendar
Makar Sankranti khichdi mela
The Math’s biggest fair — khichdi-bhog pots, lakh-strength devotee streams and the bazaar side-shows.
Diwali & Deepotsav orbit
The lamp festival — bazaar lightings and the Ramleela season of the mohallas.
Autumn Ramleela grounds
The month-long theatre — the open-air stages of the old city and the fair crowds.
Buddha Purnima circuit
The Buddhist-calendar week — Kushmi Vihar ceremonies and the Lumbini-road pilgrim flow.
October – March
The plains winter — Math visits, lake evenings and the Buddha-circuit drives.
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FAQ
What is Gorakhpur famous for?
The Gorakhnath Math, Gita Press — the world’s biggest Hindu-scripture publisher — and Gorakhpur Junction’s ~1.3-km platform, among Asia’s longest.
What is the population of Gorakhpur?
Census 2011: about 6,73,446 in the corporation city; UA 7,61,825; Gorakhpur district 44,40,895.
What is the pincode of Gorakhpur?
The city starts at 273001; Gorakhpur spans 273001–273411 across the Cantonment, Golghar and Betiahata belts.
Which places should I visit there?
The Gorakhnath Math, Gita Press’s Leela Chitra Ghar, Ramgarh Tal — with Kushinagar and Lumbini as the Buddha-circuit runs.