Sela Pass

Country: India | State: Arunachal Pradesh

Top Places to Visit: Twang, Sela Pass, Tawang Monastery, Shonga-Tser Lake, Nuranang Falls, Tawang War Memorial, Pasighat, Yingkiong, Ziro Valley, Miao

<strong, Ideal Trip Duration: 2-3 Full Days

Nearest City : Itanagar

Best Time to Visit : November & February

Overview

The Sela Pass is the high altitude mountain pass situated in Arunachal Pradesh state of India’s Tawang District. It has an elevation of 4170 m connecting Tawang Town Buddhist to Tezpur and Guwahati and is the main road linking Tawang to the rest of India. The pass has hardly any vegetation, and is normally covered with snow during the year to some extent. This place is snowed throughout most of the year and offers excellent, heavenly views throughout the year. This part of the Eastern Himalayan range is very unique for the Buddhists as it is believed that about 101 lakes exist in and around the passage of Sela and each of these lakes has an enormous religious significance for the Buddhist group.

About 101 lakes are believed to exist in and around Sela Pass and each of these lakes has enormous religious significance for the Buddhist community. The stunning Sela Lake is very close to the Pass, and it may be absolutely or partially frozen in winter. Several small rivers flow out of the lake too, and yaks graze around the lake during the grazing season. Sela Pass is located 78 km from the town of Tawang. The Pass is open all year round. Temporarily the pass is shut down during landslide and heavy snow. While summers are not very cold at Sela Pass, winter temperatures can drop down to -10 degrees Celsius.