PMF IAS Current Affairs
PMF IAS Current Affairs

Major Mountain Passes in India & Himalayas

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Major Passes in India and Indian Sub-continent

Mountain Passes in India Major Passes in India and Indian Sub-continent Major Passes in India - North East Major Passes in India - Western Ghats

Major Passes of the Himalayas

  • Most of the passes remain closed in winter (Nov – Apr) due to heavy snow fall.

Passes of the Western Himalayas

Jammu and Kashmir

NAME

SIGNIFICANCE (CONNECTS)

COMMENTS

Mintaka Pass

Kashmir and China
  • Trijunction of India-China and Afghanistan border

Parpik Pass

Kashmir and China
  • East of Mintaka pass on the Indo-China border

Khunjerab Pass

Kashmir and China
  • Indo-China border

Aghil Pass

Ladakh region of India with the Xinjiang (Sinkiang) Province of China
  • 5000 m above sea level.
  • north of K2 Peak (the highest peak in India and the second highest peak in the world)

Banihal Pass

Jammu and Srinigar
  • 2832 m
  •  across the Pir-Panjal Range
  • remains snow covered during winter season
  • The road from Jammu to Srinagar transversed Banihal Pass until 1956 when Jawahar Tunnel was constructed under the pass. The road now passes through the tunnel and the Banihal Pass is no longer used for road transport.
  • Another 11 km long tunnel provides railway link between Banihal and Kazigund. It was thrown open to railway transport in July, 2013

Chang-La

Ladakh with Tibet
  • altitude of 5360 m
  • This has a temple dedicated to Chang-La Baba after whom the temple has been named

Khardung La

near Leh in the Ladakh range
  • 5602 m

The world’s highest motorable road passes through this pass

  • remains closed in winter due to heavy snowfall

Lanak La

India and China (Akasai-Chin area of Jammu and Kashmir)
  • this pass provides passage between Ladak and Lhasa. A road to connect Xinjiang Province with Tibet has been constructed by the Chinese

Pir-Panjal pass

across the Pir Panjal range provides the shortest and the easiest metal road between Jammu and Kashmir Valley. But this route had to be closed down as a result of partition of the subcontinent

Qara Tag La

Indo-China borer across the Karakoram Range
  • located at an elevation of over six thousand metres

Imis La

Ladakh region of India and Tibet in China

Pensi La

vital link between the Kashmir Valley and Kargil
  • remains closed to traffic from November to mid-May due to heavy snowfall

Zoji La

important road link between Srinagar on one side and Kargil and Leh on the other side
  • The road passing through this pass has been designated at the National Highway (NH-1D)
  • Border Road Organisation (BRO) is responsible for maintaining the road and cleaning it off snow during winter. In spite of all these efforts, the road through this pass remains closed from December to mid-May

Himachal Pradesh

Bara Lacha La

Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir
  • Elevation: 4,890 m
  • National highway connecting Mandi in Himachal Pradesh with Leh in Jammu and Kashmir passes through this pass. Being situated at high altitude, it remains snow covered in winter and is not used as a transport route.

Debsa Pass

link between Kullu and Spiti districts
  • elevation of 5270 m above sea level
  • It offers a much easier and shorter alternative route to traditional Pin-Parbati Pass route between Kullu and Spiti

Rohtang Pass

road link between Kullu, Lahul and Spiti Valleys
  • Elevation: 3979 m
  • Border Road Organisation (BRO) is responsible for constructing and maintaining roads in this area. Rohtang pass is a great tourist attraction and traffic jams are very common because this route is widely used by military, public and private vehicles.

Shipki La

Himachal Pradesh and Tibet
  • Elevation: 6000 m
  • Remains closed in winter season (Nov – Apr)

Uttarakhand

Lipu Lekh

trijunction of Uttarakhand (India), Tibet (China) and Nepal borders This pass is used by pilgrims to Kailash-Mansarowar.

Mana Pass

Uttarakhand with Tibet
  • elevation of 5610
  • Situated a little north of the holy place of Badhrinath
  • Remains closed in winter season (Nov – Apr)

Mangsha Dhura

Uttarakhand with Tibet It is used by pilgrims going to Kailash-Mansarowar

Niti Pass

Uttarakhand with Tibet
  • Remains closed in winter season (Nov – Apr)

Muling La

Uttarakhand and Tibet
  • situated in the north of Gangotri
  • at an elevation of 5669 m in the Great Himalayas

Passes of the Eastern Himalayas

Sikkim

Nathu La

Sikkim with Tibet
  • altitude of 4310 m
  • it forms part of an offshoot of the ancient Silk Route
  • an important trade route between India and China
  • It was closed after the Chinese aggression on India in 1962 but was reopened in 2006 as the governments of the two countries decided to enhance their trade through land routes

Jelep La

Sikkim-Bhutan border
  • altitude of 4538 m
  • passes through Chumbi Valley
  • important link between Sikkim and Lhasa

Arunachal Pradesh

Bom Di La

Arunachal Pradesh with Bhutan
  • altitude of 4331 m
  • Situated at an altitude of 4331 m near the western boundary of Arunachal Pradesh in the Greater Himalayas, this pass connects Arunachal Pradesh with Lhasa

Dihang Pass

Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar.
  • elevation of more than 4000 m it provides passage

Yonggyap Pass

Arunachal Pradesh with Tibet

Dipher Pass

trijunction of India, China and Myanmar
  • easy access between Arunachal Pradesh and Mandalay in Myanmar. It is an important land trade route between India and Myanmar and remains open throughout the year.

Kumjawng Pass

Arunachal Pradesh with Myanmar

Hpungan Pass

Arunachal Pradesh with Myanmar

Chankan Pass

Arunachal Pradesh with Myanmar

Primary References: NCERT Geography, Indian Geography by Kullar [Amazon and Flipkart

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11 Comments

  1. This is a great initiative . If you link yourself with telegram and making its settings such that only you can post in the group whereas others can only view and no comment as many group owners have done it,it would be great.This move will be a bonus for many who through the telegram can view it as itll be updated on a daily basis.

  2. Can I get a pdf of this page? I have already subscribed to Geography GS notes but the passes section is not present in the downloads

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