In this article, I have discussed the important passes in India with the help of maps and charts. From the exam perspective, this topic is very important for geography optional and General studies of UPSC and Bpsc in both prelims and mains. In previous years, many questions have been asked about the location and extension of these important passes in India.
Table of Contents
Mountain passes: Important Himalayan Passes in India
Mountain passes: Northern Himalayan Passes
- Aghil La.
- Karakoram Pass.
- Burzil La.
- Zoji La.
- Pir Panjal.
- Banihal Pass.
- Shipki La.
- Bara Lacha La.
- Mana La.
- Niti La.
- Lipu Lekh.
| Name of Pass | Strategic importance | Location |
| Aghil La. | Connects Ladakh with Xinjiang Province | situated north of Mt. K2 (Godwin Austen). |
| Karakoram | The highest pass of India. | situated in the U.T of Ladakh. |
| Burzil | connects Srinagar and Gilgit. | situated in the Greater Himalayas of Ladakh Union Territory. |
| Zoji La | Srinagar-Leh highway passes through it. | situated in the Zaskar Range in Ladakh U.T. |
| Pir Panjal | connects Kullu valley with Lahaul and Spiti valley. | situated in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas. |
| Banihal | The Jawahar Tunnel passes through it. | situated in the Ladakh region. |
| Shipki La | the road from Shimla to Tibet passes through it. | situated in the Zaskar Range in Himachal Pradesh. |
| Bara Lacha La | a road connecting Mandi and Leh passes through it. | situated in the Zaskar Range in Himachal Pradesh. |
| Mana | connects Uttrakhand to Tibet | situated in the Kumaun range in Uttrakhand. |
| Niti | a road connecting to Mansarovar and Kailash valley passes through it | situated at Indo-China border in the Kumaun range in Uttarakhand. |
Mountain passes: North-eastern Himalayan Passes
- Nathu La.
- Jelap La.
- Bom Di La.
- Yonggyap La.
- Diphu.
- Pangsau.
- Tuju
| Name of Pass | Strategic importance | Location |
| Nathu La | a road connecting to Tibet, via Chumbi Valley and Darjeeling passes through it. | situated in Sikkim. |
| Jelap La | a road connecting to Tibet passes through this pass. | situated in Sikkim. |
| Bom Di La | a road leading to Twang Valley passes through it. | situated in Arunachal Pradesh. |
| Yonggyap La | Brahmaputra river enters into India through this pass. a road to China passes through it. | situated in Arunachal Pradesh. |
| Diphu | important for both Myanmar and India. | situated in Arunachal Pradesh. |
| Pangsau | a road from Dibrugarh to Myanmar passes through it. | situate in Indo-Myanmar border in Arunachal Pradesh. |
| Tuju | a road from Imphal to Myanmar passes through it. | situated in Manipur. |
Do you know? How Mount Himalayas was formed?
Read a complete article on Mountain Himalaya at above link.
Important Peninsular passes of India
- Thal Ghat.
- Bhor Ghat.
- Pal Ghat.
| Name of Pass | Strategic importance | Location |
| Thal Ghat | Important pass of Western Ghats. Mumbai-Nagpur-Kolkata rail-route passes through it. Mumbai-Nagpur-Kolkata road-route passes through it. | situate in Northern Sahyadri range in Maharashtra. |
| Bhor ghat | Important pass of Western Ghats. Pune-Belgaum-Chennai rail-route passes through this pass. Pune-Belgaum-Chennai road-route passes through this pass. | situate in Northern Sahyadri range in Maharashtra. |
| Pal Ghat | Important pass of Western Ghats. Calicut-Trichut-Coimbatore-Erode rail-route passes through it. Calicut-Trichut-Coimbatore-Erode road-route passes through it. | situated between Nilgiri and Annamalai hills. |
| India and its neighbouring countries |
| The climate of India |
| Important Climate Zones in India with maps |
| Agro-climatic zones of India |
| Types of Soils in India |
FAQs on Major Passes of India
Where the location Annamalai Hills are located in India?
The Annamalai hills are located south to the Nilgiri and the highest peak of Annamalai is Anaimudi (2695m).
The highest peak of Nilgiri hill is?
Dodabeta is the highest peak of Nilgiri hills whose average height is 2637m.
Where the Shencottah Gap is located in India?
The Shencottah Gap is located at Cardamom hills.
The Highest point of Northern Sahyadri is?
Kalsubai is the highest point of Northern Sahyadri.