Pathankot

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Pathankot (Punjabi pronunciation: [pə.ʈʰäːn.koːʈᵊ]) is a city and the district headquarters of the Pathankot district in Punjab, India. Pathankot is the sixth most populous city of Punjab, after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala and Bathinda. Its local government is a municipal corporation.

In the Mahabharata and in the works of Sanskrit 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.

Pathankot has an average elevation of 332 metres (1,089 ft). It is a green town surrounded by the

• 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 46 °C (93 and 115 °F).
• 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.^[citation needed]

Pathankot/Dera Baba has been ranked 26th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 3 population under 3 lakhs cities) in India.^[3]

The city is part of the

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^[4]

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.^[5]

• 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.

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

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),

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

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.[9]

Most common language here is

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.[11]

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
  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.^[12]

• Amanpreet Ahluwalia (racing driver)
• Dev Anand (actor)
• Sunny Deol (MP)^[13]
• Siddarth Kaul (cricketer)
• Jagmohan Kaur (singer)
• Vinod Khanna (MP)^[13]
• Master Mohan Lal (Ex. MLA)
• Rajindar Nath Rehbar (poet (Shaayar in Urdu) and lyricist)
• Rajbeer Singh (actor)