Pathankot is a beautiful town situated at the foot hills of Kangra and Dalhousie, near the head of Bari Doab canal, in
Gurdaspur District,
Punjab. It serves as an important link between Punjab and
Jammu and Kashmir and the hill stations of
Dalhousie, Chamba,
Kangra and the deep
Himalayas. Pathankot is situated 110 km north-east of
Amritsar.
Pathankot was the erstwhile kingdom of the Nurpurs. Ain-i-Akbari describes the town as the headquarters of the Parganas. According to the famous historian Cunningham, Pathankot is the corruption of the word ‘Pattan’. Another theory suggests that the town was a settlement of Pathans in the medieval times.
Ideally situated at the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, Pathankot proves to be a charming picnic spot and a suitable stop-over for the tourists venturing to the hills. Nearby attractions include the Shahpur Kandi with a hanging rest house, an ancient fort, Malikpur and the Head works of Upper Bari Doab.
Dogri Language, Punjabi and Hindi are the main languages spoken here.
Nearest airport is at Amritsar. Pathankot Railway Station is directly linked with Delhi, Jammu, Gurdaspur and Shimla. By road, Pathankot is linked with Delhi, Shimla, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Dalhousie and Amritsar.
