Bum La Pass

Bum La Pass
Indo-China border at Bumla Pass
Elevation	15,200 feet (4,600 m)
Location	Arunachal Pradesh, India
Range	Himalaya

Bum La Pass in Tawang district
District of Arunachal Pradesh
Location of Bum La Pass in Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh
Country	India
State	Arunachal Pradesh
Administrative division	Tawang district
Headquarters	Tawang Town
Website	Official website

The Bum La Pass is located about 37 km away from Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, at the Indo-China border above 15,200 ft above sea level.

An old traders road went from Tawang via Milakatong La Pass (La in Tibetan means mountain pass) to Bum La Pass and finally to Tsona Dzong in Tibet.

The road to Bum La is also a historical route, the People's Liberation Army of China invaded India during the 1962 Sino-Indian War. Here in Bum La Pass one of the fiercest battle took place in the 1962 Sino-Indian War.

In 2006, Bumla pass was re-opened to traders for the first time in 44 years. Traders from both sides of the pass were permitted to enter each other’s territories, in addition to postal workers from each country.

It is often covered with heavy snow throughout the year. It is one of the most off-beat passes in the world and is also referred to as the pass from where Dalai Lama entered India escaping from Tibet.

Visit by civilian tourist of India is permissible with permission from the Indian Army. The track is very treacherous, only SUVs advisable, and that too only on clear weather day with no snowfall or rainfall.

The area includes route taken by the 14th Dalai Lama when he escaped China and reached India to take refuge.

Created by falling rocks, boulders and trees in an earthquake, there is a Sangestar Tso lake (lake is called Tso in Tibetan) that featured Madhuri Dixit (Bollywood actress) in the movie Koyla, as a result this lake is sometimes also called Madhuri lake. The lake is about 20 km from Tawang town, about 7 km beyond the bifurcation of road leading to Bum La Pass.