Gorakhpur has a significant Muslim population, and the old city contains several imambaras — congregational halls used for Shia Muslim mourning rituals, particularly during Muharram. The main imambara in the older part of the city is a handsome structure with a modest interior that is open to respectful visitors outside of prayer times.
During Muharram, the imambara becomes the focus of large processions and lamentation gatherings that are among the more distinctive cultural events in the city. The rest of the year it is a quiet building, but it serves as a reminder of the syncretic history of the region, where Sufi saints and Hindu ascetics lived and worked in close proximity.