The four-handed idol of Lord Vishnu placed in the Gorakhpur temple comes from the times of the Pal dynasty, who ruled from the 8th century to the 12th century AD. It was first found by an artisan named Gorakh in 1914 who mistook it for a plaque. He used the stone figure to sharpen his tool till he discovered one day, that it was actually an idol of Lord Vishnu. It was then placed at the Nandan Bhawan but the British Collector got it transferred to a museum in Lucknow. Given the historical importance of the idol, it was planned that the idol will be taken to London. It was then that the Indian leaders intervened and demanded the right to worship their deity’s idol. The campaign was led by Queen Shyam Sundari Kumari of Majhauli state who fought multiple court cases to get the idol back. After a long struggle, the court ruled in the queen’s favor and she commissioned the construction Vishnu temple, in memory of her deceased husband, King Kaushal Kishore Prasad Mall. The idol was finally installed in the temple on 8 May 1922. Since then, the Vishnu Mandir has attracted hordes of worshippers.

Vishnu Temple turns into a hub of celebrations during the Dushehra Festival. Ramleela is staged at this temple and the Ramleela procession is also very popular amongst the devotees. Additionally, Vishnu Mahayagya is organised at this temple, which is attended by hundreds of worshippers.

It is said that the black stone idols of Lord Vishnu in his Chaturbhuj form, are present in only two temples across India, one being the Tirupati Balaji Temple and the other, Gorakhpur’s Vishnu Temple. Further, devotees are blessed with the darshan of the Chardham- Jagannath Puri, Badrinath, Rameshwaram, and Dwarka, modeled at the Char Dham of the Vishnu Temple. Amidst serene architecture, the temple becomes an abode of multiple divinities.

Offerings of flowers, fruits, Tulsi leaves, coconuts and sweets are made to the deity at the Temple.