Religious site
Goraknath Temple
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Goraknath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Gorakhnath in Peshawar's Gorkhatri complex. Built in the 19th century and later declared a heritage site, it is one of the few surviving Hindu temples in the city. Its plan is divided along a west-east axis into eastern and western shrines linked by a chamber.
Don't miss
- The east-west arrangement of two shrines connected by a central chamber.
- Its setting within Gorkhatri, a historic compound whose uses have changed repeatedly.
- Its survival as one of a small number of Hindu temples remaining in Peshawar.
- The building's formally recognized heritage status.
Tickets & tours
Ways to visit Goraknath Temple
You can visit Goraknath Temple on your own. A guide is worth it for the history and detail that is easy to walk past, and a tour can combine it with nearby sights.
Cheapest way inBangkok Temple Walking Tour: Wat Pho Reclining Buddha & Wat Arun4.9★ · 122 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$18 per personSee dates →
Best full dayGroup Tour: Garni pagan temple, Geghard monastery, Lake Sevan, Sevanavank4.9★ · 488 travelers8-9 hoursFree cancellationFrom$37 per personSee dates →
Private & flexibleDiscover Peshawar Full Day Guided Tour from Islamabad5★ · 10 travelers8-12 hoursFree cancellationFrom$130 per personSee dates →Getting there
Know before you go
- The published construction date is 1851, but historians have also proposed dates in the 1820s or during Avitabile's 1838–42 governorship.
- Use the east-west axis to understand the plan: an eastern shrine and a western shrine are joined by a chamber.
- The temple's reopening followed a court petition by the daughter of its priest, making its modern history part of the site's significance.
A bit of history
The article gives 1851 as the temple's construction date, while also noting proposed dates during Paolo Avitabile's governorship from 1838 to 1842 or as early as 1823–30. A petition by the daughter of the temple priest led the Peshawar High Court to order its reopening, and it reopened in 2011 with heritage status. It was attacked three times in the following two months, with religious images, idols, a Shiva statue and a copy of the Gita damaged or destroyed.
Common questions
Who is the temple dedicated to?
It is dedicated to the Hindu deity Gorakhnath.
When was Goraknath Temple built?
The article lists 1851, while noting scholarly proposals ranging from 1823–30 to Avitabile's governorship in 1838–42.
How is the temple laid out?
Eastern and western shrines sit on a west-east axis and are connected by a chamber.
Why did it reopen in 2011?
The Peshawar High Court ordered its reopening after a petition filed by the daughter of the temple priest; it was also declared a heritage site.
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