Kalapani, disputed territory
Encyclopedia
Kalapaani is an area under territorial dispute
in Darchula District
, Nepal
and Pithoragarh
district of India
. The origin of Kali River, it is situated on the Kailash
Mansarovar route, at an altitude of 3600 meters. It is said that the Great Sage Vyasa meditated at this place, giving the region its name - Vyasa valley, locally called Byans valley. A pool by the temple of the Goddess Kali is considered to be the source of the Kali River. A verdant valley covered with Pine
, Bhojpatra and Juniper
trees, it offers stunning views of some of the lesser known peaks like Om Parvat
in the Central Himalayas
.Lipu-Lekh Pass leading into Tibet is 17 kilometers from Kalapaani.
Although claimed by Nepal, Kalapaani is currently being occupied by India's Indo-Tibetan border security forces
since the 1962 border war
with China
. Nepal claims that the river to the west of Kalapani is main Kali, hence it belongs to Nepal. But India claims that river to the east of Kalapani is the main Kali river, hence Kalapani area belongs to India. The river borders the Nepalese zone of Mahakali
and the Indian state of Uttarakhand
. The Sugauli Treaty
signed by Nepal and British India in 1816 locates the Kali River as Nepal's western boundary with India. Subsequent maps drawn by British surveyors show the source of the boundary river at different places. This discrepancy in locating the source of the river led to boundary disputes between India and Nepal, with each country producing maps supporting their own claims. The Kalapani River
runs through an area that includes a disputed area of about 400 km² around the source of the river although the exact size of the disputed area varies from source to source.
Territorial dispute
A territorial dispute is a disagreement over the possession/control of land between two or more states or over the possession or control of land by a new state and occupying power after it has conquered the land from a former state no longer currently recognized by the new state.-Context and...
in Darchula District
Darchula District
Darchula District of 121,996.The town has an Indian counterpart to its northwest, named Dharchula. The split between the two towns is just virtual as the traditions, culture, and lifestyle of the people living across both the regions are quite similar....
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and Pithoragarh
Pithoragarh
Pithoragarh, is a city with a Municipal Board in the Pithoragarh district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, was carved out of district of Almora in 1962.-Geography:...
district of 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...
. The origin of Kali River, it is situated on the Kailash
Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash is a peak in the Gangdisê Mountains, which are part of the Himalayas in Tibet...
Mansarovar route, at an altitude of 3600 meters. It is said that the Great Sage Vyasa meditated at this place, giving the region its name - Vyasa valley, locally called Byans valley. A pool by the temple of the Goddess Kali is considered to be the source of the Kali River. A verdant valley covered with Pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, Bhojpatra and Juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
trees, it offers stunning views of some of the lesser known peaks like Om Parvat
Om Parvat
Om Parvat is a mountain in the Himalayan mountain range, lying in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, India, near Sinla pass. It is considered sacred by Hindus and its snow deposition pattern is said to resemble the Hindu sacred syllable 'AUM'...
in the Central Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
.Lipu-Lekh Pass leading into Tibet is 17 kilometers from Kalapaani.
Although claimed by Nepal, Kalapaani is currently being occupied by India's Indo-Tibetan border security forces
Indo-Tibetan Border Police
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police is an Indian force conceived on October 24, 1962 for security along the India's border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, border covering 2115 kilometres...
since the 1962 border 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...
with China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Nepal claims that the river to the west of Kalapani is main Kali, hence it belongs to Nepal. But India claims that river to the east of Kalapani is the main Kali river, hence Kalapani area belongs to India. The river borders the Nepalese zone of Mahakali
Mahakali Zone
Mahakali|Kali River]] or Mahakali River, which originates from Kalapani.Mahakali's headquarter is Mahendranagar in Kanchanpur District. The zone covers the Himalayan range including Api Peak in the North, Hill valleys, Inner Terai valleys such as Patan in Baitadi District in the center and the...
and the Indian state of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
. The Sugauli Treaty
Sugauli Treaty
The Sugauli Treaty was signed on December 2, 1815 and ratified by March 4, 1816, between the British East India Company and Nepal, which was a kingdom during that era. This ended the second British invasion of the Himalayan kingdom during the Anglo-Nepalese War...
signed by Nepal and British India in 1816 locates the Kali River as Nepal's western boundary with India. Subsequent maps drawn by British surveyors show the source of the boundary river at different places. This discrepancy in locating the source of the river led to boundary disputes between India and Nepal, with each country producing maps supporting their own claims. The Kalapani River
Kalapani River
The Kalapani River is the eastern headwaters of the Kali River, near the border between Nepal and Kumaun, India. It is made up of numerous small springs fed by underground waters. The river borders the Nepalese zone of Mahakali and the Indian state of Uttarakhand.-Kalapani Disputed area:Kalapani...
runs through an area that includes a disputed area of about 400 km² around the source of the river although the exact size of the disputed area varies from source to source.