Major Mountain Passes in India & Himalayas

Table of Contents

• Major Passes in India and Indian Sub-continent
• Major Passes of the Himalayas
  • Passes of the Western Himalayas
    • Jammu and Kashmir
    • Himachal Pradesh
    • Uttarakhand
  • Passes of the Eastern Himalayas
    • Sikkim
    • Arunachal PradeshShareWhatsAppTweetEmail

Major Passes in India and Indian Sub-continent

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

Himalayas: Glaciers, Valleys & Snowline

Table of Contents

• Important Valleys in Himalayas
  • Karewas
    • Formation
    • Economic Significance
• Snow in Himalayas – Snowline
• Glaciers in Himalayas
  • Glaciers of the Karakoram Range
  • Glaciers of the Pir Panjal Range
  • Glaciers of the Kumaon-Garhwal Region
    • Garhwal Region
  • Glaciers of Central Nepal
• Significance of the Himalayas
  • Influence on Indian Climate
  • Defense
  • Source of Rivers
  • Fertile Soil
  • Hydroelectricity
  • Forest Wealth
  • Agriculture
  • Tourism
  • Cultural Tourism
  • Mineral Resources in HimalayasShareWhatsAppTweetEmail

Important Valleys in Himalayas

The most important valleys in the Himalayan region are

• the valley of Kashmir and the Karewas (),
• the Kangra and Kulu valley in Himachal Pradesh;
• the Dun valley (Doon valley, Dehradun valley); the Bhagirathi valley (near Gangotri) and the Mandakini valley (near Kedarnath) in Uttarakhand and
• the Kathmandu valley in Nepal.

Karewas

• Karewas are lacustrine deposits [deposits in lake] in the Valley of Kashmir and in Bhadarwah Valley of the Jammu Division.
• These are the flat topped mounds that border the Kashmir Valley on all sides.
• They are characterized with fossils of mammals and at places by peat.

Formation

• During the Pleistocene Period (1 million years ago), the entire Valley of Kashmir was under water.
• Subsequently, due to endogenetic forces, the Baramullah Gorge was created and the lake was drained through this gorge.
• The deposits left in the process are known as karewas.
• The thickness of karewas is about 1400 m.
• In fact, the karewas have been elevated, dissected and removed by subaerial denudation as well as by the Jhelum river giving them the present position.

Economic Significance

• The karewas are mainly devoted to the cultivation of saffron, almond, walnut, apple and orchards.
• The karewas, devoted to saffron cultivation are fetching good income to the growers.

Snow in Himalayas – Snowline

• In Eastern Himalayas and Kumaon Himalays the snowline is around 3,500 m above sea level whereas in western Himalays snowline is about 2,500 m above sea level.
• This difference in snowline is partly due to the increase in latitude from 28° N in Kanchenjunga to 36° N in the Karakoram.
• But the major factor is precipitation. Precipitation in western Himalayas is comparatively low and occurs mostly as snowfall where as in eastern Himalayas the precipitation is greater and occurs mostly in the form of rain.
• In the Great Himalayan ranges, the snow line is at lower elevation on the southern slopes than on the northern slopes because the southern slopes are steeper and receive more precipitation as compared to the northern slopes.

Glaciers in Himalayas

• There are about 15,000 glaciers in the Himalayas.
• Total area of Himalayas is about five lakh square kilometres (Area of India is nearly 32 lakh sq km). About 33,000 sq km area is covered by snow.
• The snow line (the lowest level of perpetual snow) varies in different parts of the Himalayas depending upon latitude, amount of precipitation and local topography.

Glaciers of the Karakoram Range

• Maximum development of glaciers occurs in the Karakoram range.
• Some of the largest glaciers outside the polar and sub-polar regions are found in this range. The southern side of this range has many gigantic glaciers.
• The 75 km long Siachen Glacier in Nubra valley has the distinction of being the largest glacier outside the polar and the sub-polar regions.
• The second largest is the 74 km long Fedchenko Glacier (Pamirs)
• Third largest is the Hispar Glacier. It is 62 km long and occupies a tributary of the Hunza River.

Glaciers of the Pir Panjal Range

• The glaciers of the Pir Panjal Range are less numerous and smaller in size as compared to those of the Karakoram Range.
• The longest Sonapani Glacier in the Chandra Valley of Lahul and Spiti region is only 15 km long.

Glaciers of the Kumaon-Garhwal Region

• In the Kumaon-Garhwal region of the Himalayas, the largest is the 30 km long Gangotri Glacier which is the source of the holy Ganga.

Garhwal Region

• Lying in the Himalayas, it is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the northwest by Himachal Pradesh state.
• It includes the districts of Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, and Uttarkashi.

Glaciers of Central Nepal

• Zemu and the Kanchenjunga glaciers are the major ones.

Significance of the Himalayas

Influence on Indian Climate

• They intercept the summer monsoons coming from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea causing precipitation in the entire Ganga Plains, North-Eastern Hills.
• They direct the monsoon winds towards north-western India (Punjab, Haryana etc.. But these regions receive most of the rainfall due to Western Disturbances coming from the Mediterranean regions).
• They protect northern-plains from the cold continental air masses of central Asia.
• The Himalayas influence the path of Sub-tropical Jet stream flowing in the region. They split the jet stream and this split jet stream plays an important role in bring monsoons to India.
• Had there been no Himalayas, the whole of India would have been a desert and its winters would have been very severe. [Mechanism of monsoons will be explained in detail later]

Defense

• The Himalayas are a natural defense barrier.
• But the Chinese aggression on India in 1962 has reduced the defense significance of the Himalayas.

Source of Rivers

• Rivers that feed nearly half a billion population of India originate in Himalayas. [we will study this in detail later in drainage system]
• All the rivers are perennial supplying water year round.

Fertile Soil

• The swift flowing rivers from Himalayas bring enormous amount of silt (alluvium) which constantly enrich the Ganaga and Bramhaputra plains.

Hydroelectricity

• Due to its natural topography and swift flowing perennial rivers, the Himalayan region offers several natural sites with great hydroelectric power generation potential.
• Many hydroelectric power plants have already been constructed.
• But all this comes at a great environmental costs.

Forest Wealth

• The Himalayan host rich coniferous and evergreen forests. Lower levels have tropical evergreen forests and higher levels have Alpine vegetation (Coniferous).
• The Himalayan forests provide fuel wood and a large variety of timber for industries.
• Himalayan forests host wide variety of medicinal plants.
• Several patches are covered with grass offering rich pastures for grazing animals.

Agriculture

• Due to rugged and sloped terrain, the Himalayas are not potential agricultural sites.
• Some slopes are terraced for cultivation. Rice is the main crop on the terraced slopes. The other crops are wheat, maize, potatoes, etc.
• Tea is a unique crop which can be grown only on the Shiwalik hill slopes in the region.
• Fruit cultivation is a major occupation. A wide variety of fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, mulberry, walnut, cherries, peaches, apricot, etc. are also grown in the Himalayan region.

Tourism

• Himalayan ranges have a large number of tourist spots.
• The hilly areas in the Himalayas are not affected by hot winds like loo. Hence they offer cool and comfortable climate.
• The increasing popularity of winter sports has increased the rush of tourists in winters.
• Srinagar, Dalhousie, Dharamshala, Chamba, Shimla, Kulu, Manali, Mussoorie, Nainital, Ranikhet, Almora, Darjeeling, Mirik, Gangtok, etc. are important tourist centres in the Himalayas.

Cultural Tourism

• Himalayas host many Hindu and Buddist shrines.
• Kailas, Amarnath, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Vaishnu Devi, Jwalaji, Uttarkashi, Gangotri, Yamunotri, etc. are important places of pilgrimage.

Mineral Resources in Himalayas

• Geosynclinical deposits in tertiary rocks are regions of potential coal and oil reserves.
• Coal is found in Kashmir, Copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, limestone, semi-precious and precious stones occur at some places in the Himalayas.
• But the exploitation of these resources require advanced technologies which are not yet available.
• Also, disturbing such a fragile environment leads to more pain than gain (present hydroelectric power projects have already proved this)
  .

Regional Divisions of Indian Himalayas

Table of Contents

• Himalayas – Regional Divisions
  • Punjab Himalayas
  • Assam Himalayas
  • Western Himalayas
  • Central Himalayas
  • Eastern HimalayasShareWhatsAppTweetEmail

Himalayas – Regional Divisions

Punjab Himalayas

• Between the Indus and the Satluj rivers [560 km long].
• All the major rivers of Indus river system flow through Punjab Himalayas.
• A large portion of Punjab Himalayas is in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Hence they are also called the Kashmir and Himachal Himalaya.
• Karakoram, Ladakh, Pir Panjal, Zaskar and Dhaola Dhar are the major ranges in this section.
• The general elevation falls westwards.

Assam Himalayas

• Spreads over Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Elevation here is much lesser than that of the Nepal Himalayas.
• The southern slopes are very steep but the northern slopes are gentle.
• The Lesser Himalayas are very narrow and are very close to the Great Himalayas.

Western Himalayas

• Between the Indus in the west and the Kali river in the east (880 km).
• Spread across three states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• It encompasses three physiographic provinces namely Kashmir Himalaya, Himachal Himalaya and Kumaon Himalaya (Uttarakhand Himalayas).
• The Ladakh plateau and the Kashmir valley are two important areas of the Kashmir Himalayan region.
• In Himachal Himalayas, The Greater Himalaya is represented by the Zaskar range, lesser Himalaya by Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges and the Outer Himalaya by the Shiwalik range.
• The southern slopes are rugged, steep and forested while the northern slopes are bare, gentle and show plains with lakes.
• The Kumaon Himalayas lie in Uttarakhand and extend from the Satluj to the Kali river.
• The Lesser Himalayas in Kumaon Himalaya is represented by the Mussoorie and Nag Tiba ranges.
• The Shiwalik in this region runs south of the Mussoori range between the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers.
• The flat valleys between the Lesser Himalaya and the Shiwalik range are called ‘doons’ or ‘Duns’ of which Dehra Dun is the most famous.

Central Himalayas

• 800 km between river Kali in the west and river Tista in the east.
• The Great Himalaya range attains maximum height in this portion.
• Some of the world famous peaks Mt. Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Annapurna, Gosainthan and Dhaulagiri are located here.
• The Lesser Himalaya is known as Mahabharat Lekh in this region.
• The range is crossed by rivers like Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, etc.
• In between the Great and the Lesser Himalayas, there are Kathmandu and Pokhra lacustrine valleys (previously, they were lakes).
• The Shiwalik range come very close to the lesser Himalaya towards the east and is almost non-existent beyond Narayani (Gandak).

Eastern Himalayas

• This part of the Himalayas lies between the Tista river in the west and the Brahmaputra river in the east and stretches for a distance of about 720 km.
• Also known as the Assam Himalayas, the Eastern Himalayas occupy mainly the areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan.
• The Assam Himalayas show a marked dominance of fluvial erosion due to heavy rainfall.
• The Himalayas take a sudden southward turn after the Dihang gorge and the hill ranges running in more or less north-south direction along India’s border with Myanmar are collectively known as the Purvanchal.

These are known by various local names such as Patkai Bum, Naga hills, Kohima hills, Manipur hills, Mizo hills (previously known as the Lushai hills), Tripura hills and Barail range.

• The extension of the Purvanchal Himalaya continues southwards upto Andaman and Nicobar Islands through the Myanmar range (Arakan Yoma) and even upto the Indonesian archipelago.
• In the eastern section the Himalayas rise abruptly from the plains of Bengal and Oudh and suddenly attain great elevations within a short distance from the foot of the mountains. Thus the peaks of Kanchenjunga and Everest are only a few kilometres from the plains and are clearly visible from there.
• In contrast, the western Himalayas rise gradually from the plains through a series of ranges. Their peaks of perpetual snow are 150 to 200 km away from the plain areas.