SHYAMA KALI -MANDI

It is said that Guru Gorakhnath once visited Jwalamukhi. The Jwalamukhi Devi requested Guru Gorakhnath to receive her hospitality. Gorakhnath refused to have food even if cooked and served by the Devi as people visiting her were not all strict about their food. On the Devi's repeated request Gorakhnath agreed to cook khichiri (rice and dal mixed and boiled with some condiments and served with ghee) at her place but said he would go round begging for alms as usual and on return would cook khichiri himself. He asked the Devi to keep water boiling so that he could straightaway cook without wasting time.

The Jwalamukhi Devi agreed and kept the hot water boiling but Guru Gorakhnath has not yet returned. The Devi waited and waited and then sent her disciple Naga Arjan to trace the Guru. Naga Arjan failed and started meditating on the top of the Jwalamukhi range. He has not returned also.

The Devi then deputed another disciple Bhim to find out the whereabouts of Gorakhnath and to bring him back. Bhim traced Gorakhnath at the confluence of the Rohini and Tapti rivers. This place has come to be known as Gorakhpur. The Guru had a begging bowl, which would never get filled up though maunds of rice and dal (lintels) might be put into it. Similarly he cooked khichiri with five seers of rice and dal and the food would never be exhausted though thousands ate.

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