Gorakhpur is a small village located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. This village gained prominence around 2014 when various media reports began to assert the existence of a wall purportedly measuring 80 kilometers in length. This sensational news garnered widespread attention across India, prompting several short field studies and surveys conducted by various agencies. The wall, which is considered a significant aspect of the region’s heritage, has primarily been featured in newspapers with numerous exaggerations; however, no comprehensive academic paper has been published on the subject, with the exception of one authored by Dr. Jinendra Jain of IGNTU Amarkantak in 2020. Dr. Jain’s paper represents the first scholarly source of information and addresses specific aspects of the built heritage. Raisen is recognized as one of the most significant districts in Madhya Pradesh and is also referred to as the rock art capital of India. The archaeological history of the district can be traced back to the Lower Paleolithic era, with excavations at Tikoda and Bhimbetka yielding some of the earliest dates in central Indian prehistory. This paper is based on a recent survey and documentation of the Gorakhpur wall and the built heritage in the surrounding regions.
