Pathankot

History

Ancient period

Numerous coins of great antiquity related to Ancient Audumbara Kingdom were found at various sites of Pathankot.

Medieval Period

In the medieval period from 11th century CE to the 16th century, Pathankot was the first capital of Nurpur State (present-day Himachal Pradesh), which was earlier known as Dhameri, a corruption of Audumbari.

Mughal period

Pathankot's name was changed From Dhameri To Nurpur during Shah Jahan's reign. The Pathania clan of native Pahadi Rajputs of the region derived its name from Pathankot, which was known as Paithan.

Under Sikh empire

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's rule. Moran Sarkar, a Muslim dancing girl Ranjit Singh married, lived in a fortress in Pathankot from 1811 till her demise.

Colonial period

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 332 m. 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° 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 34 and.
• 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.

|Jan record high C = 28 |Feb record high C = 29 |Mar record high C = 35 |Apr record high C = 43 |May record high C = 46 |Jun record high C = 49 |Jul record high C = 46 |Aug record high C = 41 |Sep record high C = 40 |Oct record high C = 40 |Nov record high C = 35 |Dec record high C = 29 |year record high C = 49 |Jan record low C = -4 |Feb record low C = 0 |Mar record low C = 4 |Apr record low C = 10 |May record low C = 15 |Jun record low C = 19 |Jul record low C = 19 |Aug record low C = 20 |Sep record low C = 19 |Oct record low C = 9 |Nov record low C = 4 |Dec record low C = -1 |year record low C = -4

Politics

The city is part of the Pathankot Assembly Constituency.

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 and for various locations in Jammu and Kashmir 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 or a cycle rickshaw.

Traffic management is poor in the city. No traffic lights exist in the city.

By Air

• Pathankot Airport is a domestic airport serving Pathankot with scheduled flight operations to/from New Delhi by Alliance Air under the UDAN Scheme. The nearest International Airport, is in Amritsar.

Train

Pathankot Railway Station under A-category. Pathankot is a major railroad junction. 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 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, Jammu and other Indian cities. All trains going to Jammu 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 via Palampur and 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 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 take 3–4 hours. while buses to Amritsar 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 (149 km), Dharamshala (88 km), Dalhousie (100 km), Amritsar (108), Palampur (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-Srinagar National highway (NH-44), Dabwali-Pathankot National highway (NH-54) and Pathankot-Mandi National highway (NH-154).

Economy

Pathankot’s economy is primarily driven by agriculture, trade, and transportation. The region is known for producing crops like wheat, maize, and litchi, benefiting from its fertile soil and favorable climate. Its strategic location makes it a key trading hub connecting Punjab with Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. 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, with a seasonal harvest in late spring. Its litchi cultivation supports local farmers and contributes to 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, 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 Rajputs, 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 (MP)
• Siddarth Kaul (cricketer)
• Jagmohan Kaur (singer)
• Vinod Khanna (MP)
• Master Mohan Lal (Ex. MLA)
• Rajindar Nath Rehbar (poet (Shaayar in Urdu) and lyricist)
• Rajbeer Singh (actor)

References

References

1. (May 2022)
2. Ancient India, from the earliest times to the first century, A.D. by Rapson, E. J. p.154 [https://archive.org/details/ancientindiafrom00raps]
3. (7 September 2024). "Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2024".
4. (May 2025). "14-03-2021 : Pathankot Bhaskar ePaper: Read Pathankot Bhaskar Local Hindi Newspaper Online, Page 1}}{{dead link".
5. (April 2022). "Pathankot News Sign Boards In 38 Places In The City No White And Yellow Lines In 32 Places Traffic Lights Have Been Closed For Many Years Not Even Zebra Crossing".
6. "PTKC/Pathankot Cantt (3 PFs) Railway Station - Train Departure Timings - India Rail Info".
7. Team, Y. P.. (2024-06-30). "Mann Govt achieves another milestone, exports first shipment of Punjab's litchi to England".
8. (2024-07-07). "From layoff to litchi: How a Pathankot youth finally tasted success".
9. "Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above". Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011.
10. "Pathankot City Population Census 2011 - Punjab".
11. "Five months on, work yet to begin on Pathankot stadium".
12. "Twin islands in Pathankot set to boost tourism".
13. "National Portal of India".