Nathatop | |
|---|---|
 Nathatop
 Natha_Top,_Jammu_and_Kashmir | |
  Nathatop Location in Jammu and Kashmir Show map of Jammu and Kashmir Nathatop Nathatop (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:33°5′25″N75°19′35″E / 33.09028°N 75.32639°E /33.09028; 75.32639 | |
| Country |  India |
| Union Territory | Jammu and Kashmir |
| District | Udhampur |
| Elevation | 2,133 m (6,998 ft) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi,Dogri |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 182142 |
| Website | patnitop |
Nathatop is aradar station and tourist spot located, betweenSanasar andPatnitop in theUdhampur district ofJammu and Kashmir,India.[1] It is in located on theJammu-Srinagar National Highway (which is part ofNational Highway 44, formerly 1A), 121 km (75 mi) fromJammu, on the way fromUdhampur toSrinagar. Situated on aplateau in theShivalik belt of theHimalayas, Nathatop sits at an altitude of 2,133 m (6,998 ft). The riverChenab flows in close proximity to this location.[2] Nathatop lies in District Udhampur of Jammu And Kashmir
AfterIndo-Pakistani War of 1965,Indian Airforce decided to alert its Srinagar Airforce by installing a Radar at an altitude of 2,897 m (9,505 ft) at Shankh Pal Mandir, however considering thesanctity of the site, the leader of location search partyWing Commander Natha Singh decided to change the coordinates and setup the Radar ATCR 2D at its current location in March 1970 named after him in 1995. Route Surveillance Radar was replaced by the ATCR-22 in 1981, followed by a Master T Radar in 2024.[3]
This site serves as an alternative to the Shankh Pal Temple, which is believed to possess mystical powers. According to local accounts, an Air Force reconnaissance team led by Wing Commander Natha Singh camped near the temple while surveying the area for a potential radar station. However, each morning, they mysteriously found themselves relocated to different spots, far from their original campsite. Consequently, the survey was abandoned, and the radar station was established at this location instead. Locals attribute this to Raja Shankhpal, the temple's deity, who they believe did not want the station near his sacred abode.[4]
