Major Mountain Passes in India

Passes in Ladakh Passes in Arunachal Pradesh

1. Pensi La 1. Bomdi La
2. Zoji La 2. Yonggyap Pass
3. Khardung La 3. Dihang Pass
4. Mintaka Pass 4. Diphu /Dipher Pass
5. Parpik Pass 5. Kumjaung Pass
6. Khunjerab Pass 6. Chankan Pass
7. Aghil Pass 7. Lekhapani Pass
8. Qara Tagh /Karakoram Pass 8. Hpungan Pass
9. Lanak La
10. Chang La Passes in Aravalli
11. Umling La 1. Goran Ghat
12. Imis La 2. Haldighati Pass
Some other passes of Aravalli
Passes in Kashmir 1. Desuri/ Kevar nal 4. Shivpur Ghat
1. Banihal Pass 2. Elephant Pass 5. Someshwar nal
2. Pir-Pranjal Pass 3. Parveria
3. Burzil Pass

Passes in Uttarakhand Passes in Satpura

1. Muling La 1. Asirgarh Fort Pass
2. Mangsha Dhura
3. Mana Pass Passes in Western Ghats
4. Niti Pass 1. Thal/ Kasara Ghat Pass
5. Lipu Lekh 2. Malshej Ghat
6. Traill’s Pass 3. Bhor Ghat
4. Nane Ghat Pass
Passes in Himachal Pradesh 5. Kumhrali Ghat Pass
1. Bara-Lacha La 6. Amba Ghat
2. Debsa Pass 7. Tamhini Ghat
3. Rohtang Pass 8. Ambola Ghat
4. Shipki La 9. Chorla Ghat
10. Pal/ Palakkad Ghat
Passes in Sikkim
1. Naku La
2. Nathu La
3. Jelep La
 Passes in Ladakh
Sl Name Connects Description Elevation
no.
1. Pensi La Kashmir with Kargil • Situated in Greater Himalayas 4400 m
• Aka Gateway to Zanskar;
Connects Suru Valley region
to Zanskar valley.

2. Zoji La Srinagar with Kargil And • Designated as National 3528 m

Leh Highway (NH-1D)
• Beacon Force of Border Road
Organization is responsible for
clearing and maintaining the
road
3. Khardung La Leh and Siachen glaciers. • Tibetan Mountain Range 5359 m
• Border Roads Org. are
responsible for overseeing it
• Gateway to valleys like Nubra
Valley
4. Mintaka Pass Kashmir and China • East of Mintaka pass on the 4709 m
Indo-China border
• Located in the Karakoram
mountain range and is situated
near the tri-junction of India,
China and Afghanistan border.

5. Parpik Pass Kashmir and China • Located at the east of Mintaka 4709 m
pass on the Indo-China border.
6. Khunjerab Pass Kashmir and China • Indo-China border 4693 m

7. Aghil Pass Ladakh region of India • Situated in the north of Mt. K2 4805 m
with the Xinjiang (Godwin-Austen)
(Sinkiang) Province of
China
8. Qara Tagh Pass/ Indo-China borer across • Located across the Karakoram 5359 m
Karakoram pass the Karakoram Range range on the Indo-China
border.
• Part of the ancient silk route.
9. Lanak La Ladakh and Lhasa • A road to connect Xinjiang 5466 m
Province with Tibet has been
constructed by the Chinese.
• While China claims Kongka
pass as the border between
India and China, India claims
Lanak La pass as the border.
10. Chang La Ladakh with Tibet • High mountain pass in the 5360 m
greater Himalayas.
• Lies in between the Shyok
river valley and Leh district
• One of the highest motorable
passes
11. Umling La Connects Leh to The • Highest motorable pass in the 5800m
Pangong Lake, world.
inaugurated in August
2021
12. Imis La Ladakh and Tibet. • Has a difficult geographical 5290 m
terrain and steep slopes.
• Remains closed in winter.
• This is the beginning of the
Hanle Valley, which is
historically significant in terms
of Buddhism.

Passes in Kashmir
Sl Name Connects Description Elevation
no.
1. Banihal Pass • It is located across the Pir Panjal 2832 m
(Jawahar Tunnel): range.
• Banihal with • Until the construction of the Jawahar
Qazigund. tunnel in 1956, the Banihal pass
• Kashmir served as the road link between
valley (in Jammu and Srinagar.
Jammu and • pass is no longer valid as a result of
Kashmir) to tunnel.
the outer • Zaban Glacier is located near Banihal
Himalayas. Pass.

2. Pir-Pranjal Pass Traditional pass • Located in the Pir Panjal range which 3485 m
from Jammu to is a group of mountains in the lesser
Srinagar. Himalayan region.
• Provides the shortest roadway access
to Kashmir valley from Jammu.
• Closed down as a result of partition.

3. Burzil Pass Kashmir and • Joins Astore Valley of Kashmir with 4100 m
Srinagar-Krishan Ladakh the Deosai Plains of Ladakh
Ganga Valley
 Passes in Uttarakhand
Sl Name Connects Description Elevation
no.
1. Muling La Uttarakhand and Tibet • Located north of Gangotri 5669 m
(Uttarkashi district).
• Seasonal pass, remains snow-
covered during the winter
season.
2. Mangsha Dhura Uttarakhand with Tibet • Pilgrims for Manasarovar 5674 m
cross this route
• Located in the Kuthi Valley,
Pithorgarh dist.
3. Mana Pass Uttarakhand with Tibet • Located in the Garhwal 5632 m
Himalayan mountain range
• Part of Nanda Devi Biosphere
Reserve.
4. Niti Pass Uttarakhand with Tibet • It was previously an important 5073 m
link connecting Tibet to the
rest of the world, but it has
been blocked since 1962.

5. Lipu Lekh Tri-junction between • Pilgrims for Manasarovar 5115 m

Uttrakhand, Tibet, and cross this route
Nepal • Important border post for
trade with China
6. Traill’s Pass Pindary valley and Milam • Located at the end of the 5312 m
Valley. Pindari Glacier.
• Located in between the Nanda
Devi and Nanda Kot peaks of
the Himalayan range.

Passes in Himachal Pradesh

Sl Name Connects Description Elevation
no.
1. Bara-Lacha La Lahaul (H.P) and Leh • Situated in the Zaskar range in 4850 m
(Ladakh) Himachal Pradesh.
• Divides the Yunam river from
the Bhaga river.
2. Debsa Pass Kullu and Spiti in H.P • Links the Parvati valley with 5360 m
the Spiti valley
 • Joydeep Sircar discovered this
pass in 1995.
• Bypass route of Pin-Parvati
Pass.

3. Rohtang Pass Links – Kullu, Lahul & • Located on the eastern side of 3978 m
Spiti the Pir Panjal range of the
Himalayas.
• Excellent road transportation
& tourist spot.
• Maintained by BRO.
4. Shipki La (Kinnaur district) with • Located through Sutlej Gorge 3930 m
China (Ngari Prefecture • India’s 3rd border post for
province of Tibet) trade with China after Lipu
Lekh & Nathu La pass.

Passes in Sikkim
Sl Name Connects Description Elevation
no.
1. Naku La India (Sikkim) – China • Mountain pass at Dongkya 5280 m
(Tibet) Range
2. Nathu La Sikkim with Tibet • One of the three trading border 4310 m
posts between India and China
and is also one of the five
border personnel meeting
points between the armies of
both countries.
• Part of an ancient Silk route.
• Closed after the Chinese
aggression on India in 1962
but was reopened in 2006

3. Jelep La Sikkim and Tibet (Lhasa) • Located in Chumbi valley. 4270 m

 Passes in Arunachal Pradesh
Sl Name Connects Description Elevation
no.
1. Bomdi La Arunachal Pradesh to • Located in the western region of 4331 m
Tibet (Lhasa) the Greater Himalayas. East of
Bhutan
2. Yonggyap Arunachal Pradesh to • Indo-China Border 3962 m
Pass Tibet
3. Dihang Pass Arunachal Pradesh and • Second largest city of Myanmar, 4000 m
Myanmar (Mandalay) Mandalay.
4. Diphu Tri-junction of India, • on the McMohan line, which 4587 m
/Dipher Pass China and Myanmar. demarcates India and China.
• one of the important trade routes
between India and Myanmar.
5. Kumjaung Arunachal Pradesh with • Indo-Myanmar Border 2465 m
Pass Myanmar
6. Chankan Arunachal Pradesh with • Indo-Myanmar border 2432 m
Pass Myanmar
7. Lekhapani Arunachal Pradesh with • Indo-Myanmar border 4000 m
Pass Myanmar
8. Hpungan Arunachal Pradesh with • Indo-Myanmar border. 3072 m
Pass Myanmar

Passes in Aravalli
Sl no. Name State Connects Description Elevation

1. Goran • It separates Gurushikar 1200 m

Ghat • Connects from Mount Abu
Mewar and • Udaipur with Sirohi and
Marwar Jalore in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
2. Haldighati Pali and • Located between Bagicha 396 m
Pass Rajsamand districts and Khamnor villages.
of Rajasthan. • Battle of Haldighati, Rana
of Mewar, Maharana Pratap
vs the Mughal emperor
Akbar’s Forces, led by Man
Singh I of Amber (1576).
Some other passes of Aravalli ranges are
1. Desuri nal/ Kevar nal 4. Shivpur ghat
2. Elephant Pass 5. Someshwar nal
3. Parveria
 Passes in Satpura
Sl no. Name State Connects Description Elevation

1. Asirgarh Fort Madhya Narmada and Tapti Aka “Key to the Deccan” 260 m
Pass Pradesh Valleys.

Passes in Western Ghats

Sl Name State Separates Description Elevation
no.
1. Thal/ Kasara Mumbai–Nashik • One of the four major 585 m
Ghat Pass routes, rail, and road
routes, leading into
Mumbai.
• Steepest railway line in
India is located on this
Ghat. with a gradient
of 1 in 37.
2. Malshej Ghat famous for wide varieties 700 m
of birds such as quails,
rails, crakes, flamingos,
and cuckoos.
3. Bhor Ghat • Palasdari & • Ancient route 622 m
Khandal – developed by
Maharashtra Railway line Satavahana to connect
• Khopoli & the ports of Choul,
Khandala - Revdanda Panvel,
Road etc. on the Konkan
coast and the
surrounding areas on
the Deccan plateau.
4. Nane Ghat Pass Pune district to • Nane means “coin”. 750 m
Junnar City. path was used as a
tollbooth to collect
tolls from traders
crossing the hills.
• Part of an ancient
trading route
5. Kumharli Ghat Ratnagiri with • Lies near the eastern 625 m
Pass Satara end of Konya Dam
6. Amba Ghat Ratnagiri district • Picturesque mountain- 610 m
to Kolhapur scapes and a pleasant
climate. This region is
famous
for paragliding sport.
7. Tamhini Ghat Talukas of Mulshi • Famous for sprawling 892 m
and Tamhini in green Ghats, misty
the Pune district. roads, and cascading
waterfalls.
8. Ambola Ghat Kolhapur with • Famous for sprawling 700 m
Sawantwadi green Ghats, misty
roads, and cascading
waterfalls.
9. Chorla Ghat Intersection Goa, Karnataka, • Famous for the rare 800 m
Pass of Goa, and Maharashtra species of wolf snake
Karnataka, (Lycodon striatus
and
Maharashtra
10. Pal/ Palakkad Tamil Nadu, Nilgiri Hills to the • Important instrument 140 m
Ghat Kerela north and the for human migration
Anaimalai Hills across India’s southern
to the south. tip throughout settled
history.