Gorakhnath and the Kanphata Yogis c9.6

c9.6

At GORKHA in Western Nepāl, is found the cave temple of Gorakhnāth.³ It is ‘the sacred hearth of the Gurkha race.’ Landon describes it as ‘a little, crude sanctuary hidden in a cavern to which access is almost impossible except on hands and knees—the shrine of Gorakhnāth. Here beneath an overhanging stream, housed in the natural recesses of the rock and with little adornment beyond the ceremonial tridents, flags, halberds, trumpets, and other insignia of all such places of worship, is the image of the god.’⁴ The cave and the town get their names from Gorakhnāth who is said to have resided there. Hence the national name of Gurkhas.¹