Isaac22019: further update citations as per guidelines further

2026-01-12T19:51:07Z

further update citations as per guidelines further

imported>Rao Ravindra at 16:01, 22 July 2021

2021-07-22T16:01:10Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox mountain pass
| name = Sela Pass
| native_name = Se La
| photo = File:Tawang Gate.jpg
| photo_width = 250px
| photo_caption = Sela pass Gate in April 2015
| map = India Arunachal Pradesh#India
| coordinates = {{coord|27.50480843|92.10469818|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| traversed =
| location = [[Arunachal Pradesh]], [[India]]
| range = [[Himalaya]]
| elevation = {{convert|4170|m}}
}}

The '''Sela Pass''' ([[list of tautological place names|more appropriately called]] ''Se La'', as La means Pass) is a high-altitude [[mountain pass]] located on the border between the [[Tawang District|Tawang]] and [[West Kameng]] districts in the [[India]]n [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[Arunachal Pradesh]]. It has an elevation of 4170 m (13,700 ft) and connects the Indian [[Tibetan Buddhist|Buddhist]] town of [[Tawang Town|Tawang]] to [[Dirang]] and [[Guwahati]]. The pass carries the [[National Highway 13 (India)|National Highway 13]] (previously NH 229), connecting [[Tawang]] with the rest of [[India]]. The pass supports scarce amounts of vegetation and is usually snow-covered to some extent throughout the year. Sela Lake, near the summit of the pass, is one of approximately 101 lakes in the area that are sacred in Tibetan Buddhism. While Sela Pass does get heavy snowfall in winters, it is usually open throughout the year unless landslides or snow require the pass to be shut down temporarily.

[[File:Se La Pass 100 (74).jpg|thumb|300px|Sela Pass in August, 2018]]
[[File:Se La Pass 100 (38).jpg|thumb|300px|Zomdong Na Village - In the middle of Sela Pass]]
[[File:Se La Pass 100 (79).jpg|thumb|300px|Sela Lake]]
[[File:Se La Pass 100 (35).jpg|thumb|300px|View from Sela Lake]]
[[File:Sela Pass 100 (31).jpg|thumb|300px|A vehicle negotiating Sela Pass]]

==Geography==
Sela Pass crosses a subrange of the [[Himalayas]] that separates [[Tawang District]] from the rest of India.<ref name="arunachalonline.in">{{cite web | url=http://www.arunachalonline.in/about/Tourism/Tawang/Sela-Pass.html | title=Sela Pass | publisher=arunachalonline.in | work=Pan India Internet Private Limited (PIIPL) | access-date=2013-04-19}}</ref> The pass is 4170 m (13,700 ft) high<ref name="beontheroad.com">{{cite web | url=http://www.beontheroad.com/2011/01/high-altitude-sela-passbackbone-of.html | title=High Altitude Sela Pass–Backbone of Tawang District | publisher=beontheroad.com | work=Sankara Subramanian C (www.beontheroad.com) | date=21 January 2011 | access-date=2013-04-18}}</ref><ref name="travelomy.com">{{cite web | url=http://www.travelomy.com/sela-pass/ | title=Sela Passmountain pass | publisher=travelomy.com | access-date=2013-04-18}}</ref> and is situated at a distance of 78 km from [[Tawang town]] and 340 km from [[Guwahati]].<ref>{{cite web|url =http://www.travelomy.com/sela-pass/ | title =How To Reach Sela Pass |publisher = Travelomy | access-date = 2011-06-19 }}</ref> While the Border Roads Organization (BRO) of [[India]] works to keep the pass is open throughout the year, it may shut down temporarily after landslides and during heavy snow. Summers at Sela Pass are not very cold but temperature in winter can dip down to -10 degree Celsius.<ref>{{cite web|url =http://www.travelomy.com/sela-pass | title =Sela Pass |publisher = Travelomy | access-date = 2011-06-19 }}</ref> Sela lake is a large lake located on the north side of the pass at an elevation of {{convert|4160|m|ft}}.<ref name="tawang">{{cite web | url=http://tawang.nic.in/others.html | title=Other Important Attractions of Tawang District | work=National Informatics Centre, Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh) | access-date=2013-04-18}}</ref> This lake often freezes during the winter and is drained Nuranang River, a tributary of the Tawang River. Limited vegetation grows around the lake which is used as a grazing site for yaks during the summer.<ref name="travelomy.com" />

{{wide image|Se La Pass 100 (105).jpg|1000px|Panoramic View of Sela Pass}}

==Tunnel==
'''[[Sela Tunnel]]''', [[Government of India]] announced the funding for construction of all weather road transport tunnel in 2018-19 budget.<ref name=sela1>[https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/budget-2018-live-updates/liveblog/62733507.cms Sela pass tunnel], [[The Economic Times|Economic Times]], 1 Feb 2018.</ref> Construction will start in January 2019. <ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/work-for-construction-of-sela-tunnel-to-start-soon-dgbr-118112101081_1.html | title=Work for construction of Sela tunnel to start soon: DGBR | date=21 November 2018 | agency=Press Trust of India | newspaper=Business Standard | access-date=18 June 2020 }}</ref> The under-construction [[Tawang#Railway|Bhalukpong-Tawang railway]], expected to be completed by December 2022, will also pass through here.

==Religion==
Sela Pass is a sacred site in [[Tibetan Buddhism]]. Buddhists believe that there are about 101 sacred lakes in and around the pass.<ref name="arunachalonline.in" /><ref name="beontheroad.com" />

==Legend==
<nowiki>*</nowiki>During the [[Sino-Indian War]] in 1962, Brigadier Hoshiar Singh Rathee was in charge of the defence of [[Sela Pass]] of this region with a brigade of Indian Army consisting of soldiers from battalions of various regiments, including [[Sikh Regiment|1 SIKH]], [[Sikh Light Infantry|2 Sikh LI]], [[Sikh Light Infantry|4 Sikh LI]] and also soldiers from [[Garhwal Rifles]].

Brig. Hoshiar Singh was [[killed in action]] fighting for the [[Indian Army]] in the [[North-East Frontier Agency|NEFA]] region in 1962 when his party was ambushed by invading Chinese soldiers while commanding the defence of the [[Sela Pass]].

By the afternoon of 23 November 1962 ( 2 days after ceasefire) Chinese troops belonging to No.2 Company of 154 Regiment (419 Unit) massacred brigade commander, three officers and twenty nine other ranks while the rest were wounded or captured at Phudung near Phitang Bridge, southwest of Bomdilla.

Brig. Hoshiar Singh's body was preserved in Phudung by the local Monpas. Much later, Indian army officers returned to Phudung and cremated the courageous soldier with his eldest son performing the last rites.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>According to legend, a [[sepoy]] of the Indian Army named [[Jaswant Singh Rawat]] fought alone against the Chinese soldiers near the pass during the 1962 [[Sino-Indian War]]. A tribal woman named Sela who had brought food and water to him is said to have killed herself upon seeing the dead body of Jaswant Singh Rawat. Singh was posthumously awarded the [[Maha Vir Chakra]] for his courage and devotion to duty.<ref name="arunachalonline.in" /><ref name="travelomy.com" />

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Sela Pass2.JPG|Sela Pass Gate
File:2007-sela-pass-2.jpg|Clouds moving into the pass
File:Selapass.jpg|Sela Pass
File:Sela Pass 100 (79).jpg|Jainath Bridge, Sela Pass
File:View of Jaswant Garh and NH - Tawang.JPG|View of Jaswant Garh
File:Sela Pass, Arunachal Pradesh.JPG|Sela Pass, Arunachal Pradesh, India
File:Sela Pass 100 (70).jpg|Sela Pass is prone heavy landslides
File:Sela Pass 100 (46).jpg|A village in the middle of Sela Pass
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Tourism in North East India]]
* [[Tawang Town]]
* [[Tawang Monastery]]
* [[Tawang#Railway|Bhalukpong-Tawang railway]], under-construction

==References==
{{commons category}}
{{reflist}}

{{Mountain passes of India}}

[[Category:Mountain passes of Arunachal Pradesh]]

Sela Pass - Revision history

Isaac22019: further update citations as per guidelines further

imported>Rao Ravindra at 16:01, 22 July 2021