Pathankot

Pathankot ਪਠਾਣਕੋਟ पठानकोट
City
Pathankot
Nickname:  PTK
Country	India
State	Punjab
District	Pathankot
Founded by	Guru Nanak Dev Ji
Named for	Pathania Rajput
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Body	Municipal Corporation Pathankot
• Deputy commissioner	Sukhvinder Singh
• Senior Superintendent of Police	Rakesh Kaushal (PPS)
• Member of Parliament	Vinod Khanna, Lok Sabha
• Mayor	Anil Vasudeva
Elevation	331 m (1,086 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	148,937
Languages
• Official	Punjabi
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Pin Code	145001
Telephone code	0186
Vehicle registration	PB-35
Largest city	Pathankot
Website	pathankot35.com

Pathankot is a Municipal Corporation in the Indian state of Punjab. In 2011 it became the capital of Pathankot district in Punjab, India. According to Sikh history, it is believed that Pathankot was founded by the first Sikh Guru – Guru Nanak Dev Ji during the Medieval period. The name Pathankot comes from Pathania Rajput, who was the king of Nurpur. Pathankot was the capital of Nurpur prior to 1849. Pathankot is at the meeting point of the three northern states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Due to its ideal location, Pathankot serves as a travel hub for the three northerly states. Pathankot is the ninth most populous city in the state of Punjab, Situated in the foothills of Kangra and Dalhousie, with the river Chakki flowing close by, the city is often used as a rest-stop before heading into the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir, Dalhousie, Chamba, and Kangra, deep into the Himalayas.

History

Pathankot is an ancient city and has historical significance. It was ruled by many rulers. Till 1781, Pathankot was ruled by a Muslim descendant of Raja Sayed Khan of Nupur State. From the end of the 17th century, this region was the part of the princely state – Nurpur and was ruled by the Rajputs. Nurpur state was established by Rana Bhet, a Taur Rajput of Delhi, who is well known as Jatpal. Jatpal established his dynasty at Pathankot and took the control of whole country in the foot of the hills. In the end of the 17th century, he shifted his capital to Nurpur. Now Pathankot is a district of Indian Punjab, located in the north zone of the state. Pathankot city is the district headquarters. The district was created on 27 July 2011. In Mughal records it was known as Paithan, an abbreviation of Pratishthan from which the Pathania Rajputs derive their name. Pathania is the name of the branch of the Tomara Clan of Chandravanshi, Rajputs, who claim a mythological descent from Arjuna, the hero of Mahabharata. They mostly live in and around Himachal Pradesh, in North India. It was an ancient traditional custom of the Rajputs for the king, almost in all instances, to take his name from the name of the country where he exercised his dominion. The capital was shifted from Pathankot to Dhameri Nurpur during the reign of Raja Basu Dev 1580–1613.

History of Pathania Rajput

Rana Jethpal (1100?), the younger brother of King Anangpal II of Delhi, came to Jallandhar Doab (also called Bist Doab) to conquer a territory for himself. After crossing the Beas river he captured a fort called Bhet, therefore acquiring the name Rana Bhet. After this he came upon the city of Pathankot (possibly ancient Pratisthana), and following the tradition of Rajputs, in which the king typically took his name from the name of the country where he exercised his dominion, he became known as a Pathania Rajput, instead of as a Tomara.

The Kingdom of Nurpur had its capital at Pathankot, now a district of Punjab, India. The kingdom included Pathankot and a large tract on the plains of the Punjab; also the whole of the present Nurpur Tahsil of Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, with the addition of Shahpurkandi, now in Gurdaspur, and also a small tract to the west of the Ravi, called Lakhanpur, now in Jammu & Kashmir State. The Kingdom was bounded on the north by Kangra and Chamba, on the south by the Punjab plains, and on the west by the Ravi river. The Capital was at Pathankot, which was known as Paithan in the medieval times. Throughout their history the Pathania clan rebelled against the foreign invaders. Though the Pathania kings sometimes held the high offices of generals known as Mansabdar in the Mughal military, and captured many a kingdom for the Mughal Emperor in Hindustan and beyond the Indus up till Uzbekistan. Yet, they repeatedly rebelled against the Mughal's and other foreign invaders. The most popular uprising was by Wazir Ram Singh Pathania who led a rebellion against the British Raj and was subsequently defeated by the British after a hard-fought battle. He was deported to Rangoon where he died in prison. Locals still sing ballads for their brave warrior, and a statue commemorating his deeds was erected on Pathankot Punjab-Dalhousie Himachal Highway.

Raja Jagat Singh Pathania (1618–1646) succeeded Suraj Mal (his elder brother) as the king of Dhameri (now Nurpur) in present-day Himachal, India. He was the second son of Raja Basu Dev. The golden period of Pathania rule on Nurpur (then Dhameri) came under the reign of Raja Jagat Singh. Raja Jagat Singh ruled until 1644 and during his reign rendered assistance to Mughal forces in Qandhar, Kabul.

After independence

After the independence of India, Pathankot, has developed as an important town in many aspects. The strategic point of location has prompted the establishment of the army and for the air force station for the defence of India. The Indian army and Indian air force has successful defended the territory of India in times of war. Traders supplying the army needs have also increased their business. After the partition of India, a huge amount of refugees came from newly formed Pakistan and settled in and around Pathankot. Most of them started trades of different kinds and many those businesses have grown into large business houses.

Geography

Pathankot has an average elevation of 332 metres (1,089 ft). It is a green town surrounded by the Ravi and Chakki rivers. Shiwalik foothills on the south and east and snow-capped Himalayas 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° to 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 34 °C to 46 °C (91 – 115F).
• 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.

Climate data for Pathankot
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	28 (82)	29 (84)	35 (95)	43 (109)	46 (115)	49 (120)	46 (115)	41 (106)	40 (104)	40 (104)	35 (95)	29 (84)	49 (120)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	18 (64)	21 (70)	26 (79)	33 (91)	37 (99)	39 (102)	34 (93)	33 (91)	33 (91)	31 (88)	25 (77)	19 (66)	39 (102)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	8 (46)	11 (52)	16 (61)	22 (72)	26 (79)	29 (84)	28 (82)	28 (82)	26 (79)	21 (70)	14 (57)	9 (48)	9 (48)
Record low °C (°F)	−4 (25)	0 (32)	4 (39)	10 (50)	15 (59)	19 (66)	19 (66)	20 (68)	19 (66)	9 (48)	4 (39)	−1 (30)	−4 (25)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	71 (2.8)	80 (3.1)	81 (3.2)	46 (1.8)	34 (1.3)	78 (3.1)	356 (14.0)	370 (14.6)	140 (5.5)	25 (1.0)	16 (0.6)	38 (1.5)	1,335 (52.5)
Average precipitation days	5	7	8	5	3	4	12	13	8	2	1	3	71

Transport

Pathankot is well connected by rail and road with the rest of the country. It has direct train links with Delhi, Jammu and other Indian cities. All trains going to Jammu pass through Pathankot. The important trains include Jammu Rajdhani, Swaraj Express, Pooja Express, Shri Shakti Express, Andaman Express. Super fast trains do not enter city Pathankot. They stop at outer Railway Station called 'Pathankot Cantt'. The distance from Pathankot Junction & Pathankot Cantt Railway station is just 4 km. Pathankot is also connected by a vast network of private and public-sector bus services to other cities in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir. Important destinations include Delhi, Shimla, Chandigarh, Jammu, Dharamshala, Dalhousie and Amritsar.Pathankot is also used as a gateway for Chamba and Kangra Valley in Himachal Pradesh and for various locations in Jammu and Kashmir like Jammu City Mansar Lake, Srinagar, Udhampur, Holy Cave at Amarnath, Patni Top and Holy Cave of Mata Vashino Devi (Katra) 155 km away from Pathankot.

By Air

• Pathankot Airport

Train

• Pathankot Junction Railway Station
• Pathankot Cantt Railway Station
• Bharoli Junction
• Sarna Station

Pathankot city is one of the rarest cities in North India, having 4 railway stations of its own, with Pathankot Junction Railway Station under A-category. Pathankot is a major railroad junction and the nearest mainline station to Dharamsala. Lines from Amritsar (2 hrs) and Delhi (8 hrs) merge here, and all services to Jammu (2 hrs) pass through. In addition to Pathankot station itself, there is a second station called Chakki Bank renamed Pathankot Cantt [1] just 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 [2]) and not at Pathankot Junction Railway Station.

In addition, Pathankot is also served by the narrow-gauge Kangra Valley Railway (a.k.a. Kangra Toy Train) built by the British, which crawls 128 km through stunning scenery to Joginder Nagar via Palampur and Kangra (near Dharamsala). However, the luxury Kangra Queen services were terminated back in 2003, leaving about 6 departures daily of slow, often packed second class trains, taking over six hours. Bookings for these can only be done locally 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, although Dalhousie and Dharmasala are not on the line. The town is the lower terminus of the narrow gauge Kangra Valley Railway, thereby connecting the mountainous regions of western Himachal Pradesh to the network of Indian Railways.

Bus

Maharana Pratap Inter State Bus Terminal Pathankot. It's close to the Pathankot Junction Railway station. Public HRTC buses to Dharamsala take 3–4 hours and cost Rs 75, while buses to Amritsar take 3 hours and cost the same. Dalhousie famous destination for honeymoon couples is at just 80 km from Pathankot. The famous Hindu Pilgrimage Vaishno devi is just 160 km from Pathankot. From Chandigarh, you can reach here in just 6 hours. It is well connected with bus services from Punjab roadways, Haryana Roadways, Himachal Roadways J&K transport, and private AC volvo buses.

To get the schedule of buses, click Time Table.

One can stop over in Pathankot en route to Mukerian (40), Dharamshala (100 km), Dalhousie (100 km), Amritsar (108), Palampur (100 km), Chamba (100 km) & Jammu (100 km), Hoshiarpur (100 km), Kangra (100 km), Jalandhar (108 km), Srinagar (400 km) all in different directions from Pathankot via Jalandhar-Srinagar National highway (NH-1A), Dabwali-Pathankot National highway (NH-54) and Pathankot-Mandi National highway (NH-20).

Economy

Pathankot is an economically prosperous city compared to many other towns of the Punjab or Himachal Pradesh.

Historically, Pathankot's economy was based upon the timber trade. Good quality wood was transported from Himachal to Pathankot, where it was cut and distributed to various parts of northern India. In the early 1990s, however, the timber trade shifted to Jammu. Now, the main economy of Pathankot is based on stone crushing. Pathankot is situated in the foothills where the Chakki, Ravi and Beas rivers enter the plains and these rivers deposit boulders. There are more than 200 stone crushers in and around Pathankot.

After the liberalisation of the Indian economy, Pathankot emerged as a commercial center of wholesalers and distributors of consumer goods and services, catering to Himachal Pradesh, J&K and northwest Punjab.

Restaurants

• Domino's
• Pizza Hut
• Subway
• Cafe Coffee Day
• Yo! China
• Chaat Bazar
• Amritsari Tadka
• Rool o Holie
• AFC
• Made Over Chicken
• Basant Vegetarian
• BDH Sweets
• Moti Mahal Grand
• Suvidha Royale
• Kamal Sweets
• CAD (M) CAD (B)
• Chacha Rasoi
• Shaani Di Hatti
• Munchy's

Demographics

As per provisional 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.

Hotel And Resort

• Hotel Venice
• Hotel Capri
• The Grand Hotel
• Hotel Woodland
• Hotel Abhi International
• Hotel Caesar's Castle
• Hotel Unite
• Hotel Arise
• Hotel Staywell
• Hotel Prag
• Hotel Satyam
• Hotel Comfort
• Hotel Green
• Tourist Hotel
• Hotel Standard International
• Coral Rever Resort
• DLM Valley Resort
• Hunky Dory Resort

Shopping Mall

• City Centre Mall
• Novelty Mall

College And School

• S.M.D.R.S.D College
• A.B. College
• A&M Institutes
• Pathankot Polytechnic College
• Rama Chopra College
• JD Institute Of Fashion Technology
• Partap World School
• JMK International School
• Modern Sandeepni School
• Gems Cambridge International School
• The Senior Scholar School
• Holly Heart School
• MDK Arya Public School
• SD School
• Kidzee
• Angel's Public School
• Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School
• Sarvhitkari Vidya Mandir High School
• MCM DAV Centenary Public School
• Caledonian International School
• ST Thomas Senior Secondary School
• Him Shikha School
• Adarsh Bhartiya Vidyalaya
• Tiny Toys School
• L.D.S.S Plasma School
• Pathankot Public School
• Sainik Public School
• Tender Buds English School
• ABC Junior International School
• Pilot ser. sec. school

Tourist Places

Pathankot city is surrounded by both the Shivalik range, part of what makes up the foothills of The Himalayas, and the river Chakki. Places worth visiting near Pathankot include Shahpur Kandi with a hanging rest house, Ranjit Sagar Dam which is the highest gravity dam in Asia. Madhopur (Madhopur, Punjab) head works which date back to the Mughal era. head works of Upper Bari Doab, Shahpur Kandi are the attractions of this area. Another place of interest could be Keshopur Chhamb which is home to many Migratory Birds

• There is a beautiful view of the Ravi River from "Pari Baagh" Madhopur.
• There is a fortress called the Nurpur Fort built by the Pathania Rajputs, more than 900 years ago. It was damaged due to the great earthquake which struck this region early in 1905 A.D., 25 km from Pathankot. It is quite famous in North India, and the temple inside attracts tourists from all across India. It is 25 km away from Pathankot.
• Shahpurkandi fort is also one of the main attractions of Pathankot city. It was built in 1505 A.D. by a Rajput chief, by the name of Jaspal Singh Pathania. It was strategically located to have control over the Kangra and Nurpur region. The fort is in ruins, and is famous for its temples and the view it commands over the Ravi river.
• The ancient Shiva temple Kathgarh.The last destination of the Greek emperor Sikandar(Alexander the Great), the conquering campaign of Great invader Alexander stopped near this place and he has to change his plans. While returning to Greece, The emperor Sikandar's(Alexander the Great) Army refused to cross this area. Hence, only Sikandar(Alexander the Great) with his Greek team went ahead, leaving the most of his army here. The ancient Shiva temple, 'Kathgarh', is approximately 25 km from Pathankot. During "Nag panchami", the gap between two shiva parvati holy stones reduces and during "Maha Shivaratri" the gap increases. There is no clue as to how that happens. To reach there one has to go to Indora (HP), which is 20 km away from ptk. Don't miss this temple if you visit Pathankot.
• Also seek to visit Jugial Township, which is located 15 km (approx) from Pathankot. This place has greenery all around and one Laxmi Narayan Mandir which is the biggest among the nearby areas.
• The famous road/colonies that forms the heart of city are 'mission road','Dalhousie road','College Road','Gandhi Chownk','Mamoon Cant','Model Town','Sain Garh','Sundar nagar','Dhaki Chownk','Dhangu Chownk','Municipal Colony' ,'Jodhamal colony','Patel chownk','Shastri Nagar'. Famous temples are Ashapurni mandir, Kali mata ka mandir, Shani Dev mandir, Raghunath Mandir in Mirpur Colony (Model Town), Hanuman Mandir near railway station, Ramlila ground. Also, devotees visit CNI church, Peer baba on Patel chownk. Now new localities are coming up like 'Victoria Estate' and place near 'Doji Raam ki Nursery'. The residential land is decreasing day by day in its vicinity apart from famous 'Victoria Estate', land near 'Doji Raam ki Nursery' that are close to Shahpur Chownk and 'Green Heaven Colony'.
• Make sure you visit Dalhousie in winter (after 25 December) you can catch some real snow. Moreover, when you visit Dalhousie, don't forget to make your trip to Khajjiar. No wonder they call it an Indian Switzerland (try balloon riding, paragliding for kids, horse riding, taking a picture in their traditional dress, and dining at the restaurants.) To get your adrenaline flow, drive from Khagiar to chamba.
• For religious trips like Jwala ji (130 km), Chintpurni (130 km), Pathankot becomes an ideal place to rest before heading to the hill route the next morning. A Grand Ranjit Sagar Dam (earthen Dam made of mud and not concrete) is a 100 km water reservoir. This is the latest tourist spot of Pathankot and is in "Must Visit". Chinmayya Temple (Swami Chinmayya Nand) is also on the way to Yol, India Camp (100 km). This is the place where the German Soldiers (POW) were kept in confinement after the Second World War by the British.
• There are huge gardens of mango, litchi etc. You will find "Dasheri mango" gardens fully loaded in the months of April.
• One can stop over in Pathankot en route to Dharamshala (100 km), Dalhousie (70 km), Amritsar (108), Palampur (100 km), Chamba (100 km) & Jammu (100 km), Hoshiarpur (100 km), Kangra (100 km), Jalandhar (108 km) all in different directions from Pathankot.
• Asia's foremost Hydraulic Research Station at the Upper Bari Doab Canal is situated at Malikpur which is 7 km from Pathankot, where various models of Dams and Irrigation Canals are made before actual work starts upon them.

Auto rickshaw

One can take an auto rickshaw or a cycle rickshaw at cheap rates. You can reach at any part of Pathankot by spending just Rs 10 or a maximum of Rs 20. These are quite the safest modes of transport in Pathankot

Notable People

• Master Mohan Lal (Transport Minister)
• Vinod Khanna (Film Star/MP)
• Dev Anand (Film Star)
• Dinesh Singh Babu (Deupty Speakar)
• Ashwini Sharma (MLA)
• Seema Kumari (MLA)
• Ashok Sharma (MLA)
• Kamaldeep Singh (Comedian)
• Saloni Sareen (Comedian)
• Siddarth Kaul (Cricketer)
• N S Pathania ( Ex Officer)

External links

• Pathankot Heritage [3]