Districts of India : Gorakhpur

Health, specially problems related to maternal health is one of the major concerns in the district. Japanese encephalitis is another growing concern. It is a viral disease that has affected the child population of the district. More than two hundred to three hundred children die almost every year due to the disease. This year during the period of July, 2009 to November, 2009 almost same amount (like every year) of children lost their lives.

Gorakhpur District
Area, Population & Sex Ratio
Geographical Area : 3321.0 Km2
Population in Gorakhpur (Census 2011)
Total Population
Total : 4436275
Male : 2281763
Female : 2154512

Disabled population
Total disabled population : 56631
In seeing : 24528
In speech : 6211
In hearing : 2671
In movement : 17825
Mental : 5396

Rank ( VoiceOfBharat.org Analysis )
Backwardness : 162
Sex Ratio Rank : 389
(Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : C
(HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 - 2006)
Disability : 125 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 504 (Census 2001)
Minority : Does not figure in MCD
Water : Occurrence of High Arsenic in Ground Water

The district Gorakhpur takes its name and fame from renowned, ascetic 'Gorakshnath', who was an eminent profounder saint of 'Nath Sampradaya'. A famous shrine 'Gorakhnath' was built in his honour on the same spot where he practised austerities.

History
The ancient Gorakhpur, in addition to modern, comprised the districts of Basti, Deoria, Azamgarh and parts of Nepal tarai. These region, which may be called as Gorakhpur Janpad, had been an important centre of Aryan culture and civilization.

Gorakhpur was a part of the famous kingdom of Koshal, one of sixteen mahajanpadas in 6th Century B.C. The earliest known monarch ruling over this region with his capital at Ayodhya was IKSVAKU, who founded the solar dynasty of Kshatriya. It produced a number of illustratious kings till the accession of Ram, who was the greatest ruler of this dynasty. Since then, it remained an integral part of the erstwhile empires of Maurya, Shunga, Kushana , Gupta and Harsha dynasties. According to tradition, the Tharu king, Mausen of Madan Singh (900-950 A.D.) ruled over Gorakhpur city and the adjoining area.

In medieval period, when the entire northern India lay prostrate before the Muslim ruler, Mohammad Ghori, the Gorakhpur region was not left out. For a longer period it remained under the sway of the muslim rulers, from Qutub-Ud-Din Aibak to Bahadur Shah.Tradition has it that Ala-ud-din Khilji (1296-1316) ordered the conversion of old shrine of Goraksha ( a popular deity ) of Gorakhpur into a mosque. However, on Akbar's reorganisation of the empire, Gorakhpur gave its name to one of the five Sirkars comprising the province of Avadh.

Modern period was marked by the transfer of this region by the Nawab of Avadh to the East India Company in 1801. With this cession, Gorakhpur was raised to the status of a 'DISTRICT. The first collector was Mr. Routledge. In 1829, Gorakhpur was made the headquarters of a Division of the same name, comprising the districts of Gorakhpur, Ghazipur and Azamgarh. Mr. R.M. Biad was first appointed Commissioner.

In 1865, new district Basti was carved out from Gorakhpur. The latter was further split up in 1946 to form new district Deoria. The third division of Gorakhpur led to the creation of district Mahrajganj in 1989.

It belongs to the Great Lord Buddha, founder of Buddhism, who renounced his princely costumes at the confluence of rivers Rapti & Rohini and proceeded further in the quest of truth in 600 BC.
It is also associated with Lord Mahavir, 24th tirthankar, founder of Jainism.
The next event of importance was the association of Gorakhpur with Gorakhnath. The date and place of his birth have not yet been finally settled, but it was probably in the twelfth century that he flourished. His samadhi at Gorakhpur attracts a large number of pilgrims every year.
The most significant event in the medieval period, however, was the coming of mystic poet and famous saint Kabir to Maghar. Born in Varanasi, his workplace was Maghar where most of his beautiful poems were composed. It was here that he gave the message to his countrymen to live in peace and religious harmony. The co-existence of 'Samadhi' and 'Makbara' at his burial place in Maghar attracts a large number of followers.
Gorakhpur is also identified with the Gita Press, the world famous publisher of the Hindu religious books. The most famous publication is 'KALYAN' magazine. All 18 parts of Shree Bhagwat Gita is written on its marble-walls. Other wall hangings and paintings reveal the events of life of Lord Ram and Krishna. The Gita Press is fore-front in dissemination of religious and spiritual consciousness across the country.
Gorakhpur rose to great eminence due to the historic 'CHAURI CHAURA' incident of 4th Feb., 1922, which was a turning -point in the history of India's freedom struggle. Enraged at the inhuman barbaric atrocities of the police, the volunteers burnt down the Chauri-Chaura Police Station, killing nineteen policemen at the premises. With this violence, Mahatma Gandhi withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement launched in 1920.
Another important event took place at Doharia ( In Sahjanwa Tehsil ) on 23rd August,1942. In response to the famous Quit India Movement of 1942, a meeting was held to register its protest against the British Government at Doharia but the latter responded with unprovoked firing, killing nine and injuring hundreds. A Shaheed Smarak, in their memory, stands there which still today keeps their memory alive.
The trial of Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru took place in this district in 1940. Here he was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of 4 years.

Gorakhpur is the headquarters of Gorakhpur Division and District. Gorakhpur division comprises of 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 :

Number of Tehsil	7
Number of Blocks	19
Number of Nyay Panchayat	191
Number of Gram Sabha	1233