Mountain pass
Jelep La
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Overview
Jelep La is a high pass on the Sikkim–Tibet border, a few kilometres south of Nathu La, at about 4,300 m.
It lay on the old trade route from Kalimpong in Bengal through the Chumbi valley to Lhasa, used for wool, salt and other goods.
The pass leads into the Chumbi valley, the narrow wedge of Tibet between Sikkim and Bhutan, near the sensitive Doklam plateau.
Geography and key facts
- Sikkim–Tibet (China) border
- Old Kalimpong–Lhasa trade route
- Leads into the Chumbi valley
- Close to Nathu La
Why it matters for UPSC
Passes of Sikkim: Nathu La and Jelep La. Know which state each Himalayan pass is in.
Note for UPSC
Sikkim–Tibet pass on the old Kalimpong–Lhasa trade route.
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 Jelep La yet.
Key facts
- Type
- Mountain pass
- State / UT
- Sikkim
- Coordinates
- 27.367°N, 88.866°E
From the Map Explorer data; positions are for orientation.
In the lessons
- Physiographic Divisions of India in Depth (map lesson)