Sela Lake and Sela Pass | 29 Jan 2026

Source: IE 

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.