Important Passes in India

India is a vast and diverse terrain and is the home to several mountain passes that shaped the Indian culture, its geographical extent and its connectivity. These natural passes act as natural gateways which are towering like the Himalayas and Western Ghat, and these passes have served for long served for a crucial trade. travel and also for invasion.
These passes not only hold cultural importance, but also are economically significant, also they link with other regions and they are fostering the exchange of ideas and traditions for India's culture.

Mountain Passes are often found just above the source of a river, constituting a drainage divide. A pass may be very short, consisting of steep slopes to the top of the pass, or maybe a valley many kilometers long, whose highest point might only be identifiable by surveying.

Some of the most important passes in the country are Zoji La (Pass), Banihal Pass, Shipki La (Pass), Bara-Lacha Pass, Rohtang Pass, Mana Pass, Niti Pass, Nathu La (Pass), Jalap La (Pass).

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Important Passes in India

• Zoji La (Pass)-It is in the Zaskar range of Jammu & Kashmir. The road route from Srinagar to Leh goes through this pass. It has been created by the Indus River.

• Banihal Pass-Banihal Pass is a mountain pass across the Pir Panjal Range at a maximum elevation of 2,832 m. It connects the Kashmir Valley in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to the outer Himalayas and the plains to the south. In the Kashmiri language, "Banihāl" means blizzard.

• Shipki La (Pass)-Shipki La is a mountain pass and border post with a dozen buildings of significant size on the India-China border. The river Sutlej enters India near this pass. 

• Bara-Lacha Pass- Bara-lacha la also known as Bara-lacha Pass,  is a high mountain pass in the Zanskar range, connecting Lahaul district in Himachal Pradesh to Leh district in Ladakh, situated along the Leh–Manali Highway.

• Rohtang Pass-It is a high mountain pass on the eastern end of the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas around 51 km from Manali. It connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, India.

• Mana Pass-The pass is one of the highest vehicle-accessible passes in the world, containing a road constructed in the 2005-2010 period for the Indian military by the Border Roads Organisation. Mana Pass is the last point between India and China Border.

• Niti Pass-The Niti Pass located at 5800 meters connects India with Tibet. The pass is located in Uttarakhand. 

• Nathu La (Pass)-Nathu La is a mountain pass in the Himalayas in East Sikkim district. It connects the Indian state of Sikkim with China's Tibet Autonomous Region.  Nathu means "listening ears" and La means "pass" in Tibetan.

• Jalep La (Pass)-Jelep La or Jelep Pass, elevation 4,267 m or 13,999 ft, is a high mountain pass between East Sikkim District, Sikkim, India and Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It is on a route that connects Lhasa to India.

Mountain Passes in India

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