Pathankot is located in the district of Gurdaspur of Punjab of Northern India. Pathankot is the meeting point of three states, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, which makes it an important gateway to many North Indian holiday destinations. Situated in the picturesque foothills of Kangra, with the river Chakki flowing close by, Pathankot city is a stopover to tourists heading to Amritsar, Shimla, Dalhousie, Dharamsala, Kangra Valley and Jwalaji. Pathankot is at a distance of 476 km from Delhi, 112 km from Amritsar and 246 km from Chandigarh. The strategic location of Pathankot has earned it the name of 'Cock Neck City’ since it connects Jammu& Kashmir with the rest of India. Pathankot has lush green vegetation which is supported by Ravi and Chakki rivers on its two sides. The south and east boundaries of Pathankot are guarded by the foothills of Himachal Pradesh, Kangra and Dalhousie, and its north is bounded by the snow capped Himalayas. Pathankot has a rich historical past as it was under the reign of many rulers. It was the seat of the Loi and shawl weaving industry for many centuries. It was also a prime spot in the trade route maps leading to Central Asia.Several names were attributed to Pathankot during different centuries. In the epic Mahabharata, Pathankot is mentioned as Audumbar whereas in the ancient text book of Ain-i-Akbari, it is called as Pargana Headquarter.In the late 17th century, Pathankot was a part of the Nurpur Kingdom, former name for Himachal Pradesh, founded by Jatpal, a Taur Rajput who came from Delhi. However the name Pathankot is derived from the migration and settlement of Pathans during the medieval period, according to historians. The name Pathankot stands for ‘Fort of Pathans’.As per Sakhian, the Sikh History, it was Guru Nanak Dev Maharaj, the First Guru of Sikhs, who established the town of Pathankot during one of his expeditions.Today, Pathankot has emerged to become a major commercial hub of Punjab. Due to its strategic location, Pathankot serves as a base for the defence forces - Indian Army and Indian Air Force. Pathankot is also home to Mamoon Cantonment, the largest military station in Asia.There are many tourist attractions in Pathankot like the Ranjit Sagar Dam, a major hydro-electric project regarded as a highest gravity dam in Asia. Shahpur Kandi, the caves en route to Shahpur Kandi, Madhopur Head works, Hydraulic research stations in Malikpur, Nurpur Fort, etc. are the other tourist attractions. The best time to visit is during October and November.
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