Banihal Pass
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Overview
Banihal, at about 2,832 m, is a Pir Panjal pass on the Jammu–Srinagar route. It is now bypassed by the Jawahar and Navyug tunnels.
It is in the Pir Panjal range at about 2,800 m and was the old road link between Jammu and the Kashmir valley.
The Jawahar tunnel below it opened in 1956, and the Banihal–Qazigund road tunnel of 2021 now bypasses it.
The Pir Panjal rail tunnel near Banihal is part of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla rail line.
It is about 2,832 m high.
The pass is often closed due to snow.
It links Ramban district with the Anantnag side of the valley.
The Jammu–Srinagar national highway passes nearby.
Geography and key facts
- Pir Panjal
- Jammu–Srinagar route
- Bypassed by tunnels
- Pir Panjal range
- Jawahar tunnel (1956)
- Banihal–Qazigund tunnel (2021)
Why it matters for UPSC
Asked on passes.
Note for UPSC
Pir Panjal pass on the Jammu–Srinagar route, now crossed by road and rail tunnels.
Passes are often asked as state–pass pairs or in a north-to-south order; learn which places each pass links.
Asked in PYQs
No question in our Prelims bank names Banihal Pass yet.
Key facts
- Type
- Mountain pass
- State / UT
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Coordinates
- 33.517°N, 75.267°E
From the Map Explorer data; positions are for orientation.
In the lessons
- Physiographic Divisions of India in Depth (map lesson)