Mana Pass
Encyclopedia
Mana Pass alternatively as Māna La, Chirbitya, Chirbitya-la, or Dungri La is a mountain pass
in the Himalayas
between India
and Tibet
. The pass contains the Deotal Lake from which the Saraswati River
originates.
mountain range, 48 km (29.8 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.
Mana as a name derives from Manibhadra Ashram, the ancient name of the town of Mana.
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 Europe
ans 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.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
between India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. The pass contains the Deotal Lake from which the Saraswati River
Saraswati River
Saraswati River can refer to:*Sarasvati River*Saraswati River , a distributary of the Hooghly River which was active till around the 16th century AD*Ghaggar-Hakra River...
originates.
Background
Mana Pass is located within the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and lies at the eastern terminus of the ZanskarZanskar
Zanskar is a subdistrict or tehsil of the Kargil district, which lies in the eastern half of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The administrative centre is Padum...
mountain range, 48 km (29.8 mi) north of the town of Mana in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
. Mana Pass is the source of the Saraswati River, a tributary of the Alaknanda River
Alaknanda River
The Alaknanda is a Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India that is one of the two headstreams of the Ganges, the major river of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism...
and thus of the Ganges.
Mana as a name derives from Manibhadra Ashram, the ancient name of the town of Mana.
History
Mana Pass was an ancient trade route between UttarakhandUttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
and Tibet. Mana Pass led from Badrinath to the kingdom, now province, of Guge
Guge
Guge was an ancient kingdom in Western Tibet. The kingdom was centered in present-day Zanda County, within Ngari Prefecture of Tibet Autonomous Region, China. At various points in history after 10th century AD, the kingdom held sway over a vast area including south-eastern Zanskar, Upper Kinnaur,...
in Tibet. The Portuguese Jesuits António de Andrade
António de Andrade
Father António de Andrade was a Jesuit priest and explorer from Portugal. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1596. From 1600 until his death in 1634 he was engaged in missionary activity in India...
and Manuel Marques became the first known Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans 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
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
signed an agreement granting pilgrims and indigenous travelers the right to travel between the two countries through Mana Pass.