Gorkhatri
| گورکهٹڑی | |
A view over Gorkhatri
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 Shown within Pakistan
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| Location | Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
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| Coordinates | 34°00′31″N 71°34′54″E / 34.0086403°N 71.5816924°ECoordinates: 34°00′31″N 71°34′54″E / 34.0086403°N 71.5816924°E |
Gorkhatri (Pashto: ګورکټړۍ; Hindko and Urdu: گورکهٹڑی) (or Gor Khuttree; literally meaning "Warrior's Grave") is a historical site in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Gorkhatri in the ancient city of Peshawar was identified by Alexander Cunningham with the Kanishka stupa, the giant stupa of King Kanishka the Great, while Professor Dr. Ahmad Hasan Dani identified it with the place where the famous tower of the Buddha bowl once stood.
Prof. S.M. Jaffar, in his monumental book "Peshawar: Past and Present", identified it with the place of Hindu pilgrimage where they performed the Sardukahr ritual (shaving off heads).
The celebrated Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang, who visited Gandhara in the early 7th Century CE, had paid glowing tribute to the city and the Kanishka stupa in his memoirs. He also talked about a site, which many historians argue refers to Gorkhatri where "Buddha's giant bowl was kept".
Mughal Emperor Babar, who recorded its importance in his autobiography, visited the place.
We had heard stories about Gor Khatri, a holy place of the yogis and Hindus who came from long distances for pilgrimage and got their head and beards shaved there. At once I headed for Bigram (or present day Peshawar), saw its famed, ancient tree and surrounding countryside. But much as we enquired about Gor Khatri, our guide Kamari said nothing about it. However, when we were almost back in our camp, he told Khwaja Muhammad Amin that Gor Khatri was in Bigram and that he had said nothing because of its confined cells and narrow passages. Khwaja Amin repeated his words to us. But we could not go back because the road was long and the day was spent.
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Wikipedia