# Gola Gokarannath

Gola Gokarannath or Gola is the city, municipal board, thana and tehsil in Lakhimpur Kheri district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Gola Gokarnnath is a Hindu pilgrimage site, famous for its Gokarannath Temple. The description of this pilgrimage is also found in Hindu scriptures, lakhs of devotees come here during Sawan and Mahashivratri to have darshan of Lord Shiva.
Gola Gokarannath is famous for its Shiva Temple and BHL sugar mill. Gola Gokarannath is also popularly known as Chhoti Kashi (Little Kashi).

## Demographics

As of 2011 India census, Gola Gokaran Nath has a population of 60,172, of which 31,415 are males while 28,757 are females. The population of Children with age 0-6 is 6740 which is 11.20% of the total population of Gola Gokaran Nath (NPP). In Gola Gokaran Nath Nagar Palika Parishad, the female sex ratio is 915 against the state average of 912. Moreover, the child sex ratio in Gola Gokaran Nath is around 891 compared to the Uttar Pradesh state average of 902. The literacy rate of Gola Gokaran Nath city is 81.85% higher than the state average of 67.68%. In Gola Gokaran Nath, Male literacy is around 86.24% while female literacy rate is 77.07%.
Religion in Gola Gokaran Nath (2011 Census) :
| Hinduism | Hinduism | 75.269% | 75.269% |
| Islam | Islam | 23.052% | 23.052% |
| Christianity | Christianity | 0.291% | 0.291% |
| Sikhism | Sikhism | 1.172% | 1.172% |
| Buddhism | Buddhism | 0.023% | 0.023% |
| Jainism | Jainism | 0.035% | 0.035% |
| Other | Other | 0.003% | 0.003% |
| Not stated | Not stated | 0.155% | 0.155% |

## History

It is believed that the current town was two towns, one called Gokaran Nath (current Shiva temple) and the other one called Gollihara. The famine in Gollihara caused the general population to shift close to the temple. With time, it got changed to Golli, and then to Gola. The new town thus formed due to the merger of these two towns (or villages) was called Gola Gokaran Nath.
There is a view that in the 1700s end or 1800s, some people who were designated as criminals by the British, settled in and around the temple as Sadhus to escape them. Due to this, there was pressure from the British on the Mohammadi riyaasat, as it was a part of Mohammadi. The king of Mohammadi left this town due to this and stopped collecting revenue regularly. Later, it was incorporated into the Kheri district by the British.

## Dharmik (Religious) significance

During the great war of Ramayana in Treta Yuga Ravana pleased Lord Shiva with his penance so that he could win the war against Lord Rama. Lord Shiva took the shape of a Shiv-ling and directed him to install that Shiva-ling in Lanka. But Lord Shiva proposed the condition that Shiv-Ling should not be put on the Earth on its way to Lanka. But on the way back, Ravana had to give the Shiva ling to a shepherd to attend to nature's call. Shiva increased the weight of the Shiva-ling, so the shepherd had to give up and put the Ling on the ground. This made Ravana very angry as he understood the trickery of Lord Shiva. Ravana realized that Lord Shiva did not want the Ling to be carried to Lanka and let Ravana win the war. Enraged Ravana pressed the Ling with his thumb resulting in an impression that looked like a cow's ear (गौ-कर्ण). It is on this basis that the place was named Gola Gokaran Nath.

## Geography

Gola Gokaran Nath is situated at 28.08° N 80.47° E. Gola Gokran Nath is a small city located at the banks of Sarayan river. It is surrounded by dense tropical forests. It is the second biggest town of Lakhimpur Kheri district.

## Politics

It is part of the 139 Gola Gokrannath Assembly constituency and Kheri Lok Sabha constituency. It comes under the municipal jurisdiction of Nagar Palika Parishad Gola Gokarannath.

## Industry

Gola is home to one of the most prominent sugar mills in Asia. Bajaj Hindusthan sugar Limited is situated in the northern part.
The site selected for the first plant was at Gola Gokaran Nath in the district Lakhimpur Kheri in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh (UP), an area rich in sugar cane. The original capacity of the factory was 400 tons of cane crushed per day (TCD). Subsequently, this capacity was increased in stages and is currently 13,000 TCD. The distillery unit at this plant commenced production during the end of World War II in 1944. In the initial few years, the major output was in the form of power alcohol as an additive to petrol, which was then in short supply. The unit was the first to supply alcohol-mixed petrol to the army.
Another sugar plant with a cane crushing capacity of 1400 TCD was set up in 1972 at Palia Kalan, a giant sugarcane supplying center at a distance of about 70 kilometres (43 mi) from Gola Gokaran Nath.

## Landmarks

Gola is famous for its Shiva Temple. Many people come here from distant places to visit the temple and get a sight of the holy place. It is difficult to find space in the temple during the Hindu holy month of Shravan. Other areas of religious significance are Lakshmi-Narayan temple and Bhoot Nath temple near Degree College. There are many colleges and schools. There are many markets like Tirth colony, Lakshmi Nagar Colony, Tiwari Market at Mill Road, Punjabi colony, Raghav Kunj, Badal Nagar Colony, Badal City, Railway Colony, Purvi Dixitana, Paschimi Dixitana, Sarvoday Nagar, Kumharan Tola, Arjun Nagar Colony, Bharat Bhushan Colony, Virendra Nagar Colony, Munnuganj, Oonchi Bhood, and Neechi Bhood. Tirth Bazaar is primarily a ladies' shopping domain consisting of shops for bangles, makeup/cosmetics items and Holy books etc.

## Transport
### Rail

This City lies on Broad Gauge (Lucknow Division of North-Eastern railway) connecting Gorakhpur, Gonda, Lucknow, Sitapur, Lakhimpur, Pilibhit, Bareilly, Kasganj by Lucknow-Sitapur-Lakhimpur-Pilibhit-Bareilly, Kasganj Line. The Line was converted from Meter Gauge to Broad Gauge in February 2020. There are direct trains to Lucknow, Barabanki, Gonda, Sitapur, Lakhimpur, Howrah, West Bengal, VARANASI CITY, UTTAR PRADESH, RAMNAGAR, UTTRAKHAND and Gorakhpur.

### Road

State Highway 93 (Uttar Pradesh), National Highway 730 (India),
This city lies on National Highway 730. Gola Gokaran Nath can be reached directly from Lucknow [170 km (110 mi)], Bareilly [165 km (103 mi)], Pilibhit [100 km (62 mi)], Shahjahanpur [65 km (40 mi)] The town is well connected through National & State Highways passing through it. Regular Ordinary buses/AC Shatabdi Buses runs from Delhi, Lucknow, Lakhimpur, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur and Bareilly are available for Gola Gokarannath round the clock.

### Air

The nearest airport is Bareilly Airport which is located 120 km (75 mi) from Gola. A little distant, but better-connected airport is Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (Amausi Airport) situated in Lucknow around 180 km (110 mi). Direct flights are available to and from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Jaipur, Pune and other important cities of the country.