Balrampur

Balrampur district is one of the 75 districts of Uttar Pradeshstate in India. Balrampur town located on the bank of the Rapti is the district headquarters. Balrampur district is a part of Devipatan division, and historic Awadhregion.
Balrampur is known for temple of Pateshwari Devi, a Shakti Pitha. To the left of the temple is Surya kund which according to legend, was made by Karn of the Mahabharata in honour of his father, the Sun god. Also for ruins of the ancient city of Sravasti, now a pilgrimage site for Buddhists and Jains.

History of Balrampur:  Sravasti was the capital of Uttara (North) Kosala. The ruins of Sahet, ancient Sravasti, spread over an area of 400 acres (1.6 km2). Towards the Rapti River, a little north of Sahet, lies the ancient city of Mahet. The fortified entrance to Mahet is made of mud, constructed in a beautiful crescent shape. The Sobhnath temple houses the great Stupas. These Stupas reflect the Buddhist tradition and boast of the history of the monasteries in Balrampur.
Jeetavana monastery, one of the oldest monasteries in the country is said to be one of the favorites sites of Gautam Buddha. It contains the 12th century inscriptions. The site was so religiously significant that the Emperor Ashoka, the great, visited this site. There is also a sacred tree of Peepal nearby. It is said that the tree was grown from a sapling from the original Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya.
Gautam Buddha spent 21 rainy season under the sacred Peepal tree. The famous incident of Angulimal happened in the forest of Sravasti only, where the cruel dacoit who used to kill people and wear a garland of their fingers, was enlightened by Gautam Buddha.
Another site of great religious importance in the city is Sravasti. It is said that Mahavira Jain, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, 'influenced' this place. It houses the famous Shwetambar temple.

Tourist Place in Balrampur: 

Devi patan temple is one of the most important Shaktipeeths in the region, revered by Hindus in India and Nepal. Located 70 km. from Gonda, it is surrounded amidst the beauty of Himalayan tarai. Just 2 km. from Tulsipur, this famous shrine is among one of the 51 Shakti Peeths. It is believed that during the event when Lord Shiva was carrying the corpse of his wife Sati, the light shoulder of Sati had fallen here.

The Devi Patan Siddha Peeth had been established by Guru Gorakshnath of the Nath Sampradaya. The existing temple here is said by to be constructed King Vikramaditya. In the 1lth century King Suheldeo of Sravasti had renovated the temple. The Royal family of Balrampur, is today the caretaker of the temple. A large fair takes place in Navratri and every year on Chaitra Panchami the deity of Pir Ratan Nath is brought from Dang in Nepal to the Devi Patan temple where it is worshipped along with the Devi.