Day 37 - Pathankot

Day 37

Pathankot  is a city that is located in the Gurdaspur district in the state of Punjab. The city was part of the princely state of Nurpur. Pathankot is the gateway that connects the state of Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of the country. According to legends, Pathankot's original name was Pratishthan which changed to Paithan under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Paithan and Kot were two different places separated by the river Chakki. When the British named the place in their records it was written as Pathankot. Even today there are remains of a human settlement on the other side of river chakki as, many a times,pottery and other artifacts are found when there is any sort of excavation taking place in the region.Pathankot's economy was based upon the timber trade.



How to reach here:

By Air: Pathankot has a military airport that has a few scheduled commercial flights. One can reach Pathankot by air from places such as Delhi, Chandigarh and Kullu.

By Rail: Pathankot is a major railhead in the state and it has excellent connectivity to many places in the country. Pathankot has two stations and the main station is connected to Delhi, Amritsar, Jammu and others.



Best time to visit: Throughout the year.



Languages spoken: Punjabi, Hindi and English.


Must eat: Mutton Tikka, Chiken Tikka, Mutton curry, Mutton Champ.



Famous Restaurants: Banarsi Di Hatti, Coral restaurant, Makhan da dhaba, Hotel Venice, Hotel Woodland, Moti Mahal, Unite Hotel, Hotel Pathankot, Saini Bakers.



Places you must see: 

Kathgarh temple is an ancient mughal style temple located in the village by the name of Kathgarh, which is about 7 km from the region. Situated at the confluence of the rivers Beas and Choch, the temple is popular for the unique Shivalinga, which is about 6 ft long.This temple is popular for the idols of Shiva and Parvati that is believed to have mystical properties.During Naag Panchami, it is believed that the gap between Lord Shiva's and Goddess Parvati's holy stones, enshrined here, reduces and during Shivratri, the gap increases.




Mukteshwar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva ad is situated on the bank of the River Ravi with ancient caves, some of which even date back to the times of the epic Mahabharata. As per the legend, this was the region the Pandavas stayed here during their exile.Situated at the hilltop, Mukteshwar temple has a white marble Shivling, with a copper Yoni. The Shivling is surrounded by the idols of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Paravati, Lord Hanuman and Lord Ganesha.




Nagni temple is dedicated to Nagni Mata, the Goddess who protects people from the bites of poisonous snakes.





Nurpur Fort was built by the Pathania Rajputs,around 900 years ago.The fort was constructed by Raja Basua and was originally called Dhameri. Around 100 years after the construction of the fort, it fell in the hands of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, who renamed it as Nurpur Fort. It lies on the banks of the River Jabbar. The fort has a Lord Krishna Temple, which has a black stone idol of the deity.




Shahpur kandi Fort that was built in the year 1505 AD by Jaspal Singh Pathania, who was a Rajput Chief. The fort is currently in ruins and it was used to keep a tab on the regions of Nurpur and Kangra.The fort was named after Shah Jahan by Bhao Singh and it is presently used as a rest house.





Ranjit Sagar Dam is the biggest gravity dam in Asia and the Punjab Government has plans to develop the surrounding area into a major tourist spot. Its origin can be traced back to the Mughal Era. The dam is located at river Ravi.