Pathankot
Introduction
Pathankot sits in the northernmost part of Punjab, close to the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. That position has earned it the name Gateway to Himachal, and it shapes the city's role for travellers: a natural stopping point before the hills.
The city is the headquarters of Pathankot district and is governed by a municipal corporation. Beyond its function as a gateway, it is one of Punjab's larger urban centres, so you will find the services and bustle of a substantial city rather than a small frontier town.
Before you go
Pathankot works best as a base rather than a destination in its own right: it is the gateway to Chamba and the Kangra Valley in Himachal Pradesh, and to places in Jammu and Kashmir such as Jammu City, Mansar Lake, Srinagar, Udhampur, the holy cave at Amarnath, Patni Top and the holy cave of Mata Vaishno Devi at Katra. Plan your onward travel around that role, and expect much of the city itself to be taken up by Army camps.
On the ground, Pathankot is by and large a very safe place and violent crime is almost unheard of, but keep an eye on your belongings in public, particularly at railway stations, where petty theft can occur; report anything suspicious to the police and keep away from touts. The bigger daily hazard is the roads. Traffic and congestion are heavy at Gandhi Chowk and the Dhangu Road railway crossing, driving is careless and indisciplined, signals and lane rules are widely ignored, and enforcement is rarely seen. Drivers, including Army vehicles, often use the wrong side of a divided road, so crossing a busy street can be a nightmare, and road conditions deteriorate badly in the rainy season. Link roads, by contrast, are good.
Getting there
Pathankot sits at the junction of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, which makes it a practical gateway for the surrounding hill country. The city has its own airport, Pathankot Airport (IXP), served by domestic flights only, particularly from Delhi. By rail, two stations serve the city: Pathankot Junction Railway Station and Pathankot Cantonment, also known as Chakki Bank. The cantonment station is the main one for Jammu-bound trains, though it lies 4 km from the main station and is smaller with limited facilities. Two mainlines head south from here, one to Amritsar and one to Delhi, while all north-bound services to Jammu pass through.
Pathankot is also the nearest mainline railhead for Dharamsala, and the narrow-gauge Kangra Valley Railway, a British-built line, crawls from the main station through mountain scenery to Joginder Nagar via Palampur and Kangra. Around six daily departures of slow, often packed second class trains make the trip, some only as far as Baijnath Paprola, and tickets cannot be booked in advance, only bought at the station on the day of travel. The Maharaja Pratap Interstate Bus Terminal, close to the railway station, handles the main bus traffic, with public HRTC buses to Dharamsala and to Amritsar, and Dalhousie lying 80 km away. The city is well connected by bus services from Punjab Roadways, Haryana Roadways, Himachal Roadways and J&K transport, and the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage site is 160 km away.
Getting around
For short hops inside Pathankot, auto rickshaws and bicycle rickshaws are the standard choice. They are inexpensive and widely available, and they are described as quite the safest modes of transport in the city. Flag one down without much planning, but agree on the fare before you set off. For longer transfers — between the main railway station and the Cantonment station, or from the bus terminal to your accommodation — an auto rickshaw is the straightforward option. Note that traffic management in the city is poor and there are no traffic lights, so allow extra time for any road journey and take care when crossing.
The main railway station and the Maharana Pratap Inter State Bus Terminal sit close to each other, which makes that immediate area convenient on foot for arrivals and departures. Beyond that, keep walking to short, local trips and use rickshaws for anything longer. Public toilets are available at various places in the city for a small charge. If you arrive by air, Pathankot Airport is a domestic airport with scheduled flights to and from New Delhi; the nearest international airport is in Amritsar.
- Check whether your train stops at Pathankot Junction or at Pathankot Cantonment (Chakki Bank) — most Jammu-bound trains now use the Cantonment station, and the two are separate.
- Buy Kangra Valley Railway tickets in person at Pathankot station on the day you travel; advance booking is not possible.
- Use the Maharana Pratap Inter State Bus Terminal for onward buses to Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and other parts of Punjab.
- For short trips around town, take an auto rickshaw or bicycle rickshaw and agree the fare beforehand.
- Allow extra time on the roads: there are no traffic lights in the city and traffic management is poor.
Where to stay
Patankot has very few places to sleep, and no budget options beyond the station rooms, so it is best not to get stuck here on your way through. If you do, you may be better off taking a quick bus to Amritsar and staying there instead.
- Hotel Woodland, on Dhangu Road in Jodhamal Bagh, is a luxury hotel near the domestic airport and railway station, with rooms in a variety of classes.
- Hotel Venice, also on Dhangu Road, is easily accessible and known for its hospitality and food.
- Hotel u-nite sits on Gurdaspur Road in Gandhi Nagar, and Dee Pee Residency and Walia Resort on the Jalandhar–Dalhousie Bypass are further options.
- Hotel Stay-Well is near the bus station and a short rickshaw ride from the train station, with its own parking and well-ventilated rooms.
- Station Retiring Rooms, along the main platform of the railway station, offer simple private two-bed rooms with attached bathrooms; they are supposedly only for travellers with onward rail tickets, but since the Kangra Valley train can't be booked in advance, you can just say you will be on the morning train.
Food & drink
< p>Pathankot keeps North Indian kitchens busy around the clock, and you will find everything from spicy dhaba plates to sit-down restaurants. For a proper meal, look to places such as Hotel Venice, Hotel Woodland, Moti Mahal, Unite Hotel and Hotel Pathankot. If you love spicy Punjabi food, head to Makhan da dhaba near the railway line on Dhangu Road, known for dal tarka, channa masala and muttar paneer. On Dalhousie Road in the evening you can graze your way through South Indian dosa and idli, Punjabi naan shole, fast food, non-veg dishes and ice cream, including at Prince da dhaba. Sanjha Chulla on the Pathankot to Jammu road near bridge number three serves sahi paneer, dal makhani, mix veg and channa masala, and you should try the kheer. Dedicated non-veg eaters can visit Chan ka Dhaba and Baba Ka Dhaba on Dalhousie Road for chicken and mutton tikka, mutton curry, tandoori chicken and mutton champ. For something milder, Chamba Dhabha at Post Office Chowk is one of the oldest hotels in the city, cooking home-style food in pure desi ghee with staff whose roots are in Chamba, so you get a taste of Himachal. Quick stops include Moti Mahal Grand on Saili Road with its lounge bar, terrace Moroccan open bar and restaurant, Healthy Bites, Honey Bun on Dhangu Road near Hotel Woodland, Spice n Ice near Patel Chowk for tandoori, Mughlai, Indian, Chinese and continental food, Coffee Cafe Day near Manwal, and U-nite Hotel on Gurdaspur Road. < p>Sweets have their own following here. Shhani di Hatti and Banarsi Di Hatti are famous for palang-tod, a milk cake also called PGT, made for more than seventy years, and Bikaner Sweets is another good choice. Ask for Khaare Kho ki Burfi by name and people will point you to it. For breakfast you will find puris with chana and lassi, plus the bakery shops of Saini bakers and A-One bakers. The city is known for litchis, so eat the fruit or ask for lichi juice; outside summer, packaged lichi juice from the big companies is widely available. Mango lovers should know the dusheri mango gardens fill up in April, and the litchi gardens turn red with fruit in May, when you can pluck them straight from the tree. In the evening, Hotel Woodland on Dhangu Road is a lively nightspot with a forest outlook and jungle-safari furniture, good for drinks and people-watching. Coral is one of the oldest and best places to hang out, especially in summer, and Hotel Venice offers beer with affordable snacks and warm hospitality.What to see and do
Pathankot sits between the Shivalik range and the Chakki river, and much of what you'll want to see is either in town or a short drive out. In the northern part of town, in the village of Manwal, you'll find old temples including Kali Mata Mandir, Mandir Aashapurni, Lakshmi Narayan Mandir and Bhagwan Shiri Satya Sai Baba's Mandir. Mission Road has British-era churches, and there are large gurudwaras and a very ancient mosque right in the middle of downtown, a mix of the many cultures of India. The heart of the city runs along Mission Road, Model Town, Jodhamal Colony, Green Heaven Colony and Patel Chownk; among the temples are Ashapurni Mandir, Kali Mata ka Mandir, Shani Dev Mandir, Raghunath Mandir in Mirpur Colony, and Hanuman Mandir near the railway station, while devotees also visit the CNI church and Peer Baba on Patel Chownk. For a view of the Ravi, head to Pari Baagh at Madhupur.
Beyond the city, several forts and temples make good outings. Nurpur Fort, about 25 km away, was built by the Pathania Rajputs more than 900 years ago and was damaged by the great earthquake of 1905; it is well known in North India and its temple draws visitors from across the country. Shahpurkandi Fort on Madopur Road, built in 1505 by the Rajput chief Jaspal Singh Pathania, is now in ruins but is famous for its temples and the view it commands over the Ravi. Kathgarh Mandir, an ancient Shiva temple about 30 km towards Indora/Chanour, is said to have been constructed at the time of Alexander the Great, and during Naag Panchami the gap between two holy stones of Shiva and Parvati reduces while at Shivratri it increases. Jugial Township, roughly 15 km away, is green all around and has a Laxmi Narayan Mandir, the biggest in the nearby areas. To get around, you can hire bikes in Pathankot and head into the Himalayas, or take the scenic, slow Kangra Valley Railway up to Kangra near Dharamsala or all the way to Jogindernagar. Tour and travel offices cluster near the bus stand and railway station.
Three days in Pathankot
Day one: Start in Pathankot itself, a city in Punjab that has long served as a gateway to Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Get your bearings around Gandhi Chowk and Dhangu Road, where much of the traffic and activity concentrates, and where drivers link up with passengers heading onward. If you arrive by air, Pathankot Airport (IXP) connects you to Delhi; by rail, Pathankot Junction Railway Station, Pathankot Cantonment and Chakki Bank are the main points of arrival. Use the day to settle in and plan the rest of your trip.
Day two: Head into Himachal Pradesh. The Kangra Valley and the Kangra Valley Railway are within reach, and Dharamsala makes a natural longer outing. Chamba is another option for a day beyond the city. That first stretch past the gateway is where the plains give way to the hills, so keep your travel simple and let the scenery do the work.
Day three: Turn toward Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu City, Mansar Lake, Srinagar, Udhampur, Amarnath, Patni Top, Katra and Mata Vaishno Devi all lie in that direction, with Katra serving as the base for the Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage. Army traffic and general congestion can slow the roads, so plan around it. Two other useful onward links are Amritsar and Dharamsala if you would rather stay on the Punjab or Himachal side.