Kunzum Pass (
Tibetan
Tibetan may mean:
* of, from, or related to Tibet
* Tibetan people, an ethnic group
* Tibetan language:
** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard
** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...
: Kunzum La, elev. ), is a high
mountain pass
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...
in the eastern Kunzum Range of the Himalayas. It connects Lahaul valley and Spiti valley. It is on the route from Gramphoo in Lahaul to
Kaza
A kaza (, , , plural: , , ; ota, قضا, script=Arab, (; meaning 'borough')
* bg, околия (; meaning 'district'); also Кааза
* el, υποδιοίκησις () or (, which means 'borough' or 'municipality'); also ()
* lad, kaza
, ...
the subdivisional headquarters of Spiti. Kunzum Pass is from
Manali, and from Kaza. The road from the Gramphoo side climbs steeply through fifteen (15) sharp hairpin turns from Batal (el. ) on the Chandra River, testing the driving skills of even experienced drivers. On the Kaza side, the road from the small town of Losar (el. ) runs on the right bank of a tributary of the Spiti. It climbs through a dry, semi-desert landscape up to the Kunzum Pass.
The Kunzum Pass is normally open from June/July to October/November. The dates of opening and closing are dependent on the weather and road repair by the
Border Roads Organisation
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a road construction executive force in India that provides support to and is now a part of the Indian Armed Forces. BRO develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring ...
.
Many drivers and travelers seek blessings of Kunzum Mata before continuing on the dangerous journey. There is also a 15 km trek to
Chandratal
Tso Chigma or Chandra Taal (meaning the ''Lake of the Moon''), or Chandra Tal is a lake in the spiti part of the Lahul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Chandra Taal is near the source of the Chandra River. Despite the rugged ...
, the Moon Lake, from the Kunzum La.
Gallery
File:Young Tibetan couple at Kunzum Pass.jpg, Young Tibetan couple at Kunzum Pass
File:Kunzum Pass between Lahaul & Spiti.jpg, Kunzum Mata temple
File:KunzumMilestone.JPG, Kunzum La, Lahaul & Spiti
The Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh consists of the two formerly separate districts of Lahaul () and Spiti (; or ). The present administrative centre is Kyelang in Lahaul. Before the two districts were merged, ...
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
File:Mountain peaks as seen from Kunzum Pass between Lahaul and Spiti.jpg, Mountain peaks as seen from Kunzum Pass between Lahaul
The Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh consists of the two formerly separate districts of Lahaul () and Spiti (; or ). The present administrative centre is Kyelang in Lahaul. Before the two districts were merged, ...
and Spiti
Spiti (pronounced as Piti in Bhoti language) is a high-altitude region of the Himalayas, located in the north-eastern part of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name "Spiti" means "The middle land", i.e. the land between Tibe ...
References
{{Mountain passes of India
Mountain passes of Himachal Pradesh
Geography of Kullu district
Geography of Lahaul and Spiti district