- Mana Pass
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Mana Pass Elevation 5,608 m (18,399 ft) Location Location 
India / 
China (Tibet)Range Himalayas Coordinates 31°04′05″N 79°24′59″E / 31.06806°N 79.41639°ECoordinates: 31°04′05″N 79°24′59″E / 31.06806°N 79.41639°E Mana Pass (el. 5,608 m or 18,399 ft), alternatively as Māna La, Chirbitya, Chirbitya-la, or Dungri La[1] is a mountain pass in the Himalayas between India and Tibet. The pass contains the Deotal Lake from which the Saraswati River originates.
Contents
Background
Mana Pass is located within the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and lies at the eastern terminus of the Zanskar mountain range, 48 km (30 mi) north of the town of Mana in Uttarakhand. Mana Pass is the source of the Saraswati River, a tributary of the Alaknanda River and thus of the Ganges.[2]
Mana as a name derives from Manibhadra Ashram, the ancient name of the town of Mana.[2]
History
Mana Pass was an ancient trade route between Uttarakhand and Tibet. Mana Pass led from Badrinath to the kingdom, now province, of Guge in Tibet. The Portuguese Jesuits António de Andrade and Manuel Marques became the first known Europeans to enter Tibet across Mana Pass in 1624. The pass continued as a minor trade route until its closure in 1951 by the Chinese. On April 29, 1954, China and India signed an agreement granting pilgrims and indigenous travelers the right to travel between the two countries through Mana Pass.
References
- ^ GeoNames. "Ma-na Shan-k’ou". http://www.geonames.org/1263956/ma-na-shan-k-ou.html. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
- ^ a b "Tourism in Mana, India". New Delhi, India. http://www.tourism-of-india.com/mana.html. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
Bibliography
- Holdich, Sir Thomas H; Tibet the Mysterious, (1906) University Press, Cambridge, MA
- MacGregor, John. Tibet: A Chronicle of Exploration, (1970) Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, SBN 7100-6615-5
External links
Mountain passes of China Geography of China Alataw Pass • Bedel Pass • Diphu Pass • Hangu Pass • Hulao Pass • Iron Gate Pass • Jingxing Pass • Karakoram Pass • Khunjerab Pass • Kilik Pass • Kongka Pass • Kulma Pass • Kunlun Pass • Laken Pass • Lipulekh Pass • Mana Pass • Mei Pass • Mintaka Pass • Mustagh Pass • Nangpa La • Nathu La • Niangzi Pass • Pingxing Pass • Sanju Pass • Semo La • Shipki La • Tanggula Pass • Tongguan County • Torugart Pass • Wakhjir Pass • Wu Pass • Yanmenguan • Yumen PassLandforms of China • List of gaps in Hong Kong Categories:- Mountain passes of India
- Mountain passes of Tibet
- Mountain passes of the Himalayas
- China–India border crossings
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