Spiritual & Cultural Significance
The Gomti and its tributaries are closely associated with the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The river is considered the daughter of Sage Vashishta, and the Naimisha forest – where the Mahabharata was first narrated – was located along the river’s banks.
Two ancient Shiva temples that are located along the river’s banks are the Ekkotarnath Mahadev and the Sunasirnath Mahadev temples. There are many lingas here, one of which is about eight feet down, at the bottom of a kund or sacred pool of water. These lingas are worshipped every Shivaratri.