Pathankot, Punjab
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Pathankot () is a city and the district headquarters of the
Pathankot district Pathankot district, the northernmost district of Punjab, India, Punjab, India, was formed on July 27, 2011, after being carved out from Gurdaspur district. Pathankot serves as the district headquarters. The district shares its Border, borders ...
in
Punjab, India Punjab () is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. Forming part of the larger Punjab, Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, the state is bordered by the States and union territories of India, Indian states ...
. Pathankot is the sixth most populous city of Punjab, after
Ludhiana Ludhiana () is the most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab.164.100.161.224 http://164.100.161.224 › filesPDF Ludhiana State: Punjab Business & Industrial Centre, Tier 2 1 ... The city has an estima ...
,
Amritsar Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...
,
Jalandhar Jalandhar () is a city in the state of Punjab, India, Punjab in India. With a considerable population, it ranks as the List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population, third most-populous city in the state and is the largest city in the ...
,
Patiala Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, India, Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the ''Qila Mubarak, Patiala, Qila Mubar ...
and
Bathinda Bathinda is a city and municipal corporation in Punjab, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of Bathinda district. It is located in northwestern India in the Malwa Region, west of the capital city of Chandigarh and is the fifth ...
. Its local government is a municipal corporation.


History

In the ''
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
'' and in the works of
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
grammarian and linguistic scholar Panini, the region is also mentioned as Audumbara, which was classified as Ayudhajivi sangha (warrior community). Numerous coins of great antiquity related to Ancient Audumbara Kingdom were found at various sites of Pathankot. In the medieval period from 11th century CE to the 16th century, Pathankot was the first capital of
Nurpur State Nurpur kingdom in the Himalayan foothills of India was founded in 1064 A.D at north-eastern Bari Doab between the Ravi and the Beas rivers at the fusion of Kangra, Duggar, Majha, Dharab and Chamba areas which ended in 1815. The remnants o ...
(present-day
Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...
), which was earlier known as Dhameri, a corruption of Audumbari. Its name was changed From Dhameri To Nurpur during
Shah Jahan Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...
's reign. The
Pathania Pathania is a surname of Indian origin. It is a sub-clan of the Tomar (Tanwar/Toor) Rajput clan from northern India. The royal family of Nurpur kingdom belonged to this clan. Notable people People with the surname Pathania, who may or may ...
clan of native Pahadi
Rajputs Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...
of the region derived its name from Pathankot, which was known as Paithan. Pathankot was invaded by Jarnail Jai Singh Kanhaiya of Kanhaiya Misl and was annexed from the ruling Pathania Rajput clan and merged with Punjab during
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839) was the founder and first maharaja of the Sikh Empire, in the northwest Indian subcontinent, ruling from 1801 until his death in 1839. Born to Maha Singh, the leader of the Sukerchakia Misl ...
's rule.
Moran Sarkar Moran Sarkar (–1862) was an Indian queen, the wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire. She was a nautch The nautch (, meaning "dance" or "dancing" from Hindustani: "naach")Scott A. Kugle, 2016When Sun Meets Moon: Gender, Eros, a ...
, a Muslim dancing girl Ranjit Singh married, lived in a fortress in Pathankot from 1811 till her demise. Pathankot was merged with Gurdaspur district in 1853; prior to that, it was part of Kangra after British annexed the hill regions from Sikhs after the First Anglo-Sikh War in 1845.


After independence

During partition, the initial plan by the border demarcation committee was to place Pathankot (part of Gurdaspur district that time) in Pakistan and Shakargarh district in India. However, Shakargarh district was finally given to Pakistan and Gurdaspur district (along with Pathankot) was given to India.


Geography

Pathankot has an average elevation of . It is a green town surrounded by the
Ravi Ravi may refer to: People * Ravi (name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Ravi (composer) (1926–2012), Indian music director * Ravi (Ivar Johansen) (born 1976), Norwegian musical artist * Ravi (rapper) (born 1993), a Sou ...
and
Chakki Chakki river is a tributary of river Beas River. It flows through Indian states Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and joins Beas near Pathankot. It is fed by snow and rain in the Dhauladhar Dhauladhar () () is a mountain range which is part of a ...
rivers.
Shiwalik The Sivalik Hills, also known as Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas. The literal translation of "Sivalik" is 'tresses of Shiva'. The hills are known for their numerous fossils, and are also home to the Soanian Middle Paleo ...
foothills on the south and east and snow-capped
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...
in the back drop in north.


Average temperature

* Spring: The climate remains the most enjoyable part of the year during the spring season (from mid-February to mid-April). Temperatures vary between (max) 16 °C to 25 °C and (min) 9 °C to 18 °C. * Autumn: In autumn (from mid-September to mid November.), the temperature may rise to a maximum of 30 °C. Temperatures usually remain between 16° and 27° in autumn. The minimum temperature is around 11 °C. * Summer: The temperature in summer (from mid-May to mid-June) may rise to a maximum of 46 °C (rarely). Temperatures generally remain between . * Monsoon: During monsoon(from mid-June to mid-September), Pathankot receives moderate to heavy rainfall and sometimes heavy to very heavy rainfall (generally during the month of August or September). Usually, the rain bearing monsoon winds blow from south-west/ south-east. Mostly, the city receives heavy rain from south (which is mainly a persistent rain) but it generally receives most of its rain during monsoon either from North-west or North-east. Maximum amount of rain received by the city of Pathankot during monsoon season is 195.5 mm in a single day. * Winter: Winters (November to mid-March) are mild but it can sometimes get quite chilly in Pathankot. Average temperatures in the winter remain at (max) 7 °C to 15 °C and (min) 0 °C to 8 °C. Rain usually comes from the west during winters and it is usually a persistent rain for 2–3 days with sometimes hail-storms. Pathankot experienced snowfall in 2012 after almost 55 years. Pathankot/Dera Baba has been ranked 26th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 3 population under 3 lakhs cities) in India.


Politics

The city is part of the
Pathankot Assembly Constituency Pathankot Assembly constituency is a Punjab Legislative Assembly constituency in Pathankot district, Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is locat ...
.


Facilities

Government of Pathankot had constructed 4 public toilets in 2018 but they had been opened for only 6 days so as to get good rankings in surveys. You can find them at various places where they charge you 10/- but you can avail general conveniences in a clean environment


Transport

Pathankot is connected by rail and road with the rest of the country. Pathankot is connected by a network of private and public-sector bus services to other cities in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir. Destinations include Delhi, Manali Chandigarh, Jammu, Dharamshala, Dalhousie and Amritsar. Pathankot is used as a gateway for Chamba and Kangra Valley in
Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...
and for various locations in
Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...
like Jammu City Mansar Lake, Surinsar Lake, Srinagar, Udhampur, Holy Cave at Amarnath, Patni Top and Holy Cave of Mata Vaishno Devi (Katra) 155 km away from Pathankot. One can take an
auto rickshaw An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many other terms in various countries, including three-wheeler, Adaidaita Sahu, Keke-napep, Maruwa, auto, ...
or a
cycle rickshaw The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of tricycle designed to carry passengers on a vehicle for hire, for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bi ...
. Traffic management is poor in the city. No traffic lights exist in the city.


By Air

*
Pathankot Airport Pathankot Airport is a regional airport, 3 km from the nearest city Pathankot and 7 km from Pathankot Railway Station, located on the Pathankot – Majra Road. Pathankot airport serves domestic flights only. The airport, spread over ...
is a domestic airport serving Pathankot with scheduled flight operations to/from
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
by Alliance Air under the
UDAN ''Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik'' (Hindi for "Let the common citizens of the country fly"), known by its acronym ''UDAN-RCS'' ('Udan' is Hindi for "flight") is a regional airport development program of the Government of India and part of the Regio ...
Scheme. The nearest International Airport, is in
Amritsar Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...
.


Train

Pathankot Railway Station Pathankot Junction Railway Station (station code: PTK) is a located in Pathankot district in the Indian state of Punjab and serves Pathankot. The railway station Pathankot railway station is at an elevation of and was assigned the code – ...
under A-category. Pathankot is a major railroad junction. Lines from
Amritsar Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...
(2 hrs) and
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
(8 hrs) merge here, and all services to
Jammu Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...
(2 hrs) pass through. In addition to Pathankot station itself, there is a second station called Chakki Bank renamed Pathankot Cantt 4 km away, which serves some express trains that do not stop in Pathankot station. Nowadays the majority of the Jammu trains stop only at Pathankot Cantt Railway Station and not at Pathankot Railway Station. Pathankot has direct train links with
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
,
Jammu Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...
and other Indian cities. All trains going to
Jammu Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...
pass through Pathankot Cantt Station. Trains include Rajdhani, Swaraj Express, Pooja Express, Shri Shakti Express. Super fast trains do not serve Pathankot Station. The distance from Pathankot & Pathankot Cant Railway station is 4 km. Pathankot is also served by the narrow-gauge Kangra Valley Railway (a.k.a. ''Kangra Toy Train'') built by the British, which travels 128 km to
Joginder Nagar Jogindernagar, or Jogindar Nagar (), is a municipality, and a sub district in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Named after Raja Joginder Sen, the hill station is the terminus of the Kangra Valley narrow-gauge railway. Jog ...
via
Palampur Palampur is a hill station and a municipal corporation situated in the Kangra District in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Palampur is served by the Palampur Himachal railway station (PLMX), situated in Maranda, approximately 2 kilometer ...
and Kangra district, Kangra (near Dharamsala)., The luxury ''Kangra Queen'' services were terminated in 2003, leaving about six departures daily of slow, often crowded second class trains, taking over six hours. Bookings for these can only be done in-person at Pathankot station. Some of these trains run to Baijnath Paprola and a few to Joginder Nagar. The main stations on this line include Kangra and Palampur. The town is the lower terminus of the Kangra Valley Railway, thereby connecting the mountainous regions of western
Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...
to the network of Indian Railways.


Bus

Maharana Pratap Inter State Bus Terminal Pathankot is close to Pathankot railway station. Public buses to Dharamshala Dalhousie, India, Dalhousie take 3–4 hours. while buses to
Amritsar Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...
take 3 hours. Dalhousie, a famous destination for honeymoon couples is 80 km from Pathankot. The Hindu Pilgrimage Vaishno devi is 160 km from Pathankot. Chandigarh is 4–5 hours away. It is well connected with bus services from Punjab roadways, Haryana Roadways, Himachal Roadways J&K transport, and private AC volvo buses. One can stop over in Pathankot en route to Gurdaspur (35 km), Mukerian (40),
Joginder Nagar Jogindernagar, or Jogindar Nagar (), is a municipality, and a sub district in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Named after Raja Joginder Sen, the hill station is the terminus of the Kangra Valley narrow-gauge railway. Jog ...
(149 km), Dharamshala (88 km), Dalhousie (100 km), Amritsar (108),
Palampur Palampur is a hill station and a municipal corporation situated in the Kangra District in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Palampur is served by the Palampur Himachal railway station (PLMX), situated in Maranda, approximately 2 kilometer ...
(112 km), Chamba (100 km) & Jammu (100 km), Hoshiarpur (100 km), Kangra (86 km), Jalandhar (108 km), Srinagar (400 km) all in different directions from Pathankot via
Jalandhar Jalandhar () is a city in the state of Punjab, India, Punjab in India. With a considerable population, it ranks as the List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population, third most-populous city in the state and is the largest city in the ...
-Srinagar National highway (NH-44), Dabwali-Pathankot National highway (NH-54) and Pathankot-Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, Mandi National highway (NH-154).


Economy

Pathankot’s economy is primarily driven by agriculture, trade, and Transport, transportation. The region is known for producing crops like wheat, maize, and Lychee, litchi, benefiting from its fertile soil and favorable climate. Its strategic location makes it a key trading hub connecting Punjab, India, Punjab with Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu & Kashmir and
Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...
. Small-scale industries, local trade markets, and tourism also contribute significantly to the city’s economic activities. Litchi Production Pathankot is a key litchi-growing region in Punjab, India, Punjab, with a seasonal harvest in late spring. Its Litchi, litchi cultivation supports local farmers and contributes to Export, exports. The Punjab government has taken initiatives to boost horticulture and enhance market access, addressing challenges like pests and price fluctuations to improve productivity and profitability.


Demographics

As per data of 2011 census Pathankot urban agglomeration had a population of 159,909, out of which males were 84,145 and females were 75,764. The literacy rate was 88.71 per cent. Most common language here is Punjabi Language, Punjabi, Hindi.


Sports

On 8 November 2014, Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal laid the foundation stone for a stadium in Pathankot. But even after 6 years, the stadium is still incomplete. Sportspeople struggle to get any facilities in Pathankot. There are no proper grounds to practice. So they go to other cities, while most of the young population pursue other careers.


Notable sites

Keshopur Chhamb is home to many Migratory Birds and is only major natural wetland in the state. *There is a fortress called the Nurpur Fort built by the
Pathania Pathania is a surname of Indian origin. It is a sub-clan of the Tomar (Tanwar/Toor) Rajput clan from northern India. The royal family of Nurpur kingdom belonged to this clan. Notable people People with the surname Pathania, who may or may ...
Rajputs Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...
, more than 900 years ago. The temple is also built there named Brij Raj Swami devoted to Lord Krishna and Mira Bai, the only place where idols of both are worshipped. It was damaged due to the earthquake which struck in 1905 A.D., 25 km from Pathankot. It is 25 km away from Pathankot. The Union Ministry for Forests, Environment and Climate Change has given the long-awaited signal to develop the twin islands of Kalara and Palangi, located in the midst of the Ranjit Sagar Dam Lake.


Notable people

* Amanpreet Ahluwalia (racing driver) * Dev Anand (actor) * Sunny Deol (Member of parliament#India, MP) * Siddarth Kaul (cricketer) * Jagmohan Kaur (singer) * Vinod Khanna (Member of parliament#India, MP) * Master Mohan Lal (Ex. MLA) * Rajindar Nath Rehbar (poet (Shaayar in Urdu) and lyricist) * Rajbeer Singh (actor)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pathankot Pathankot, Cities and towns in Pathankot district