Lipulekh
| Lipu-Lekh Pass | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Elevation | 5,334 m (17,500 ft) |
| Location | India |
| Range | Himalayas |
| Coordinates | 30°14′03″N 81°01′44″E / 30.234080°N 81.028805°ECoordinates: 30°14′03″N 81°01′44″E / 30.234080°N 81.028805°E |
Lipulekh (elevation 5,334 m or 17,500 ft is a disputed Himalayan pass controlled by India but also claimed by Nepal near their tripoint with Chinese trading town of Taklakot (Purang) in Tibet. It has been used since ancient times by traders, mendicants and pilgrims transiting between India and Tibet. This is used by Manasarovar pilgrims.
Nepal regards Limpiyadhura as the source; India claims Lipu Lekh as the source. Nepal has reportedly tabled an 1856 map from the British India Office to support its position. Kalapani has been controlled by India's Indo-Tibetan border security forces since the Sino-Indian War with China in 1962. Nepal has called for the withdrawal of the Indian border forces from Kalapani area. In 2015, the Nepalese parliament objected the agreement between India and China to trade through Lipu-Lekh stating that 'It violates Nepal's sovereign rights over the disputed territory'. After the Indian prime minister's visit to China in 2015, India and China agreed to open a trading post in Lipulekh, which was not welcomed by Nepal. Nepal now intends to solve the issue via diplomatic means with China and India. Nepal further considered the decision taken by the neighboring nations as a hegemonic step.
This pass links the Chaudans valley of India with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, and forms the last territorial point in Indian territory. The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a Hinduism pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, traverses this pass. Lipulekh pass is connected to Chang Lobochahela, near the old trading town of Purang (Taklakot), in Tibet.
The pass is first Indian border post to be opened for trade with China in 1992. This was followed by the opening of Shipki La, Himachal Pradesh in 1994 and Nathu La, Sikkim in 2006. Presently, Lipulekh pass is open for cross-border trade every year from June through September.
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