Pathankot is a city as well as a district in the Indian state of Punjab. In 2011 it became the capital of Pathankot district (carved out of Gurdaspur district) in Punjab, India. The name Pathankot comes from Pathania Rajput, who was the king of Nurpur. Pathankot was the capital of Nurpur prior to 1849. Pathankot is at the meeting point of the three northern states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, and close to the border with Pakistan. Due to its location, Pathankot serves as a travel hub for those three northerly states.Pathankot is the 9th most populous city in the state of Punjab. Situated in the foothills of Kangra and Dalhousie, with the river Chakki flowing close by, the city is often used as a rest-stop before heading into the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir, Dalhousie, Chamba, and Kangra, deep into the Himalayas.