A mountain pass is a low gap or route through a mountain range. India's most important passes lie in the Himalayas: Zoji La, Khardung La, Chang La and Fotu La in Ladakh; Banihal in Jammu and Kashmir; Rohtang, Shipki La and Baralacha La in Himachal Pradesh; Lipulekh, Mana and Niti in Uttarakhand; Nathu La and Jelep La in Sikkim; and Bomdi La, Sela and Diphu in Arunachal Pradesh. In peninsular India the key passes (ghats) are Thal Ghat, Bhor Ghat, Pal Ghat and Shencottah Gap.
Key takeaway: For SSC and RRB, learn each pass with its state and what it connects. "La" means pass in Tibetan, so Khardung La is simply "Khardung pass".
Mountain Passes of India List State Wise
Ladakh
Pass
Connects / importance
Zoji La
Srinagar (Kashmir valley) with Drass–Kargil–Leh; gateway to Ladakh on the Srinagar–Leh highway; Zojila tunnel under construction
Fotu La
Highest point on the Srinagar–Leh highway, between Kargil and Leh
Namika La
Also on the Srinagar–Leh highway, near Kargil
Khardung La
Leh with the Nubra and Shyok valleys (road to Siachen)
Chang La
Leh with Pangong Tso lake
Taglang La
On the Leh–Manali highway
Umling La
Chisumle–Demchok road; 19,024 ft, BRO's Guinness record road (2021)
Mig La
Likaru–Mig La–Fukche road; 19,400 ft, built by BRO in Oct 2025, now the world's highest motorable road
Karakoram Pass
Ladakh with Xinjiang (China); on the old Silk Route
Jammu and Kashmir
Pass
Connects / importance
Banihal Pass
Jammu with Srinagar across the Pir Panjal range; Jawahar Tunnel and the Banihal–Qazigund road tunnel run below it
Pir Panjal Pass
Mughal Road between Poonch–Rajouri and Shopian
Burzil Pass
Srinagar with Gilgit on the old route to the north
Himachal Pradesh
Pass
Connects / importance
Rohtang Pass
Kullu–Manali with Lahaul and Spiti; Atal Tunnel (9.02 km, opened 3 Oct 2020) runs below it
Baralacha La
Lahaul with Ladakh on the Manali–Leh highway; Chandra and Bhaga rivers rise near it
Kunzum Pass
Lahaul valley with Spiti valley
Shipki La
Kinnaur with Tibet; the Sutlej enters India here; India–China border trade pass
Uttarakhand
Pass
Connects / importance
Lipulekh Pass
Pithoragarh (Kumaon) with Tibet; near the India–Nepal–China tri-junction; Kailash Mansarovar route
Mana Pass
Chamoli (near Badrinath) with Tibet
Niti Pass
Chamoli with Tibet
Muling La
Uttarakhand with Tibet
Sikkim and West Bengal side
Pass
Connects / importance
Nathu La
Sikkim (Gangtok) with Tibet's Chumbi valley; old silk route; border trade pass since 2006; Kailash Mansarovar route
Jelep La
Sikkim / Kalimpong with Lhasa through the Chumbi valley
Arunachal Pradesh and the North-East
Pass
Connects / importance
Bomdi La
West Kameng; road towards Tawang and Bhutan
Sela Pass
West Kameng with Tawang; Sela Tunnel opened on 9 Mar 2024
Bum La
Tawang with Tibet; India–China border personnel meeting point
Diphu Pass
Near the India–China–Myanmar tri-junction
Pangsau Pass
Arunachal with Myanmar; Ledo (Stilwell) Road
Tuju Pass
Manipur with Myanmar
Western Ghats (Peninsular India)
Pass / gap
Connects
Thal Ghat
Nashik with Mumbai (Mumbai–Nashik rail and road)
Bhor Ghat
Pune with Mumbai
Pal Ghat (Palakkad Gap)
Kerala (Palakkad) with Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore); widest gap in the Western Ghats
Shencottah Gap
Kollam (Kerala) with Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu)
Highest Mountain Passes in India (Motorable)
Pass
Height
Source
Mig La (Ladakh)
19,400 ft (about 5,913 m)
BRO, October 2025
Umling La (Ladakh)
19,024 ft (5,798 m)
Guinness World Records, certified Nov 2021
Many lists still call Umling La the highest motorable pass; since October 2025 BRO's Mig La road is higher (Akashvani News / BRO). Heights of older passes like Khardung La differ between sources, so exam questions usually ask what a pass connects, not its exact height.
India–China Border Trade Passes
Pass
State
Trade opened
Lipulekh
Uttarakhand
1992
Shipki La
Himachal Pradesh
1994
Nathu La
Sikkim
2006
Tricks to Remember Mountain Passes
Ladakh "4 Ls on the road": Zoji La → Namika La → Fotu La on the way from Srinagar to Leh; then Taglang La on the way from Leh to Manali.
From Leh: Khardung La goes north to Nubra; Chang La goes east to Pangong.
