Rapid Fire
Sela Lake and Sela Pass
- 29 Jan 2026
- 3 min read
Recently, Sela Lake, a high-altitude glacial lake located near Sela Pass in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, has drawn attention for its geographical, ecological, and strategic significance.
Sela Lake
- About: Sela Lake is a high-altitude glacial lake (over 13,000 feet) situated on the northern side of the Sela Pass in Tawang, in the eastern Himalayas.
- A glacial lake is a body of water formed from glacial meltwater, which is trapped by ice, moraines, or bedrock depressions carved by glacial erosion.
- Geographical Features: It is surrounded by sparse alpine vegetation due to extreme climatic conditions, and is used as a summer grazing ground for yaks.
- It drains into the Nuranang River, a tributary of the Tawang River.
- Cultural Significance: It is known as “Paradise Lake” for its scenic beauty, is one of the sacred lakes in Tibetan Buddhism, and holds deep spiritual importance for the local Monpa communities.
Sela Pass
- About: It is a high-altitude mountain pass in Tawang serving as a strategic logistical corridor connecting Tawang with Assam’s plains.
- It is among the highest motorable passes in India and is maintained year-round by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
- Strategic Significance: Located near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), it played a role in the 1962 Sino-Indian War and remains a vital military logistics and troop movement route.
- The Sela Tunnel provides all-weather connectivity across the Sela Pass, linking Tezpur in Assam to Tawang near the LAC with China.
- Nearby, the Jaswant Singh War Memorial commemorates the Indian soldiers who died fighting the Chinese army in 1962.
| Read More: Expanding Glacial Lakes in the Himalayas |
