Jelep La
Encyclopedia
Jelep La (el. 4267 m or 13,999.3 ft) is a high mountain pass
between India
and Tibet
in East Sikkim District of Sikkim. The famous Menmecho Lake lies below the Jelep La Pass.
Jelep-la, a Tibetan name, means 'The lovely level pass, so called because it is the easiest and most level of all the passes between Tibet and Sikkim.' (from the Bengal District Gazetteers Darjeeling, 1907, by L.S.S.O'Malley, Indian Civil Service.)
The pass is in Sikkim and the route connects Lhasa
to India. The pass is 46 metres (150.9 ft) in length.
On the Indian side there are two routes to Jelep La, one through Gangtok
and the other through Kalimpong. The Kalimpong route is an ancient one which was responsible for the boost in the local economy due to the trading of wool and furs early last century. The pass was closed after the Sino-Indian War in 1962. It passes through the towns of Pedong
in northern West Bengal
, Rhenok, and Kupup. The route from Gangtok passes through the towns of Sherathang, nearby Changu lake
and alongside Nathu La
and through Kupup.
The route is scenic with forests of rhododendron
s blooming in spring. Numerous hamlets dot the bucolic surroundings which give a traveller a sybaritic experience. On the Tibetan side the pass leads to the Chumbi Valley of the Tibetan Plateau.
With the growing Russia
n influence in Tibet, a British expedition was sent via Jelep La to Lhasa in 1904 led by Colonel Francis Younghusband
. This expedition was met by hostile Tibetan forces which were defeated by the British. A trade agreement was then forced on the Tibetans in the absence of the 13th Dalai Lama
, who had fled to Mongolia
.
After India's independence in 1947, Sikkim, which was then a monarchy gave India the status of a suzerain nation. After the Chinese invasion of Tibet
in 1950 and suppression of the Tibetan uprising in 1959, the passes into Sikkim became a conduit for refugees from Tibet before being closed by the Chinese. During the 1962 Sino-Indian War
, there were border skirmishes between the Indian and Chinese armed forces in and around the passes of Jelep La and Nathu La - this was despite Sikkim still being a separate Kingdom at this stage. After the war the two passes were closed permanently. With the recent thawing in relations between India and China, plans are afoot to reopen the Jelep La Pass (following the July 6, 2006 reopening of the Nathu La Pass
) which is projected to result in an economic boom for the region.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
between India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
in East Sikkim District of Sikkim. The famous Menmecho Lake lies below the Jelep La Pass.
Jelep-la, a Tibetan name, means 'The lovely level pass, so called because it is the easiest and most level of all the passes between Tibet and Sikkim.' (from the Bengal District Gazetteers Darjeeling, 1907, by L.S.S.O'Malley, Indian Civil Service.)
The pass is in Sikkim and the route connects Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
to India. The pass is 46 metres (150.9 ft) in length.
On the Indian side there are two routes to Jelep La, one through Gangtok
Gangtok
Gangtok is the capital and largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. Gangtok is located in the Shivalik Hills of the eastern Himalayan range, at an altitude of . The town, with a population of thirty thousand belonging to different ethnicities such as Nepalis, Lepchas and Bhutia, is administered...
and the other through Kalimpong. The Kalimpong route is an ancient one which was responsible for the boost in the local economy due to the trading of wool and furs early last century. The pass was closed after the Sino-Indian War in 1962. It passes through the towns of Pedong
Pedong
Pedong is a town in Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal, located at .-Geography:Pedong lies 20 km east of Kalimpong on the way to Lava at an altitude of 1,240 metres . The town, which is located on a ridge, commands a panoramic view of the Kanchenjunga and the Himalayan...
in northern West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, Rhenok, and Kupup. The route from Gangtok passes through the towns of Sherathang, nearby Changu lake
Lake Tsongmo
Tsongmo Lake or Changu Lake is a glacial lake in the East Sikkim, India, some away from Gangtok at altitude of .The road to Nathu La passes the lake on north side. The Chinese border crossing is only some east-northeast in a straight line, but some by road.Indian Postal Service released a...
and alongside Nathu La
Nathu La
Nathu La is a mountain pass in the Himalayas. It connects the Indian state of Sikkim with China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The pass, at 4,310 m above mean sea level, forms a part of an offshoot of the ancient Silk Road. Nathu means "listening ears" and La means "pass" in Tibetan...
and through Kupup.
The route is scenic with forests of rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s blooming in spring. Numerous hamlets dot the bucolic surroundings which give a traveller a sybaritic experience. On the Tibetan side the pass leads to the Chumbi Valley of the Tibetan Plateau.
History
Jelep La was in use from early times as trade was flourishing between India and Tibet. After the appropriation of India by the British, the British started to construct roads into Sikkim around 1884. This was viewed with some apprehension among the Tibetans and in 1886 a small Tibetan militia occupied the region around the pass. In May 1888, they attacked the British but were warded off. Later in September the same year the British regained the area around the pass.With the growing Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n influence in Tibet, a British expedition was sent via Jelep La to Lhasa in 1904 led by Colonel Francis Younghusband
Francis Younghusband
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Francis Edward Younghusband, KCSI, KCIE was a British Army officer, explorer, and spiritual writer...
. This expedition was met by hostile Tibetan forces which were defeated by the British. A trade agreement was then forced on the Tibetans in the absence of the 13th Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, who had fled to Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
.
After India's independence in 1947, Sikkim, which was then a monarchy gave India the status of a suzerain nation. After the Chinese invasion of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
in 1950 and suppression of the Tibetan uprising in 1959, the passes into Sikkim became a conduit for refugees from Tibet before being closed by the Chinese. During the 1962 Sino-Indian War
Sino-Indian War
The Sino-Indian War , also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict , was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war, but other issues played a role. There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan...
, there were border skirmishes between the Indian and Chinese armed forces in and around the passes of Jelep La and Nathu La - this was despite Sikkim still being a separate Kingdom at this stage. After the war the two passes were closed permanently. With the recent thawing in relations between India and China, plans are afoot to reopen the Jelep La Pass (following the July 6, 2006 reopening of the Nathu La Pass
Nathu La
Nathu La is a mountain pass in the Himalayas. It connects the Indian state of Sikkim with China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The pass, at 4,310 m above mean sea level, forms a part of an offshoot of the ancient Silk Road. Nathu means "listening ears" and La means "pass" in Tibetan...
) which is projected to result in an economic boom for the region.