WELCOME TO NATHULA!
Nathu La is a mountain pass in the Himalayas. It
connects the Indian state of Sikkim with China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The
pass at 4,310 m (14,140 ft) above mean sea level, forms a part of an
offshoot of the ancient Silk Road. Nathu means "listening ears" and La means "pass" in Tibetan. On
the Indian side, the pass is 54 km east of Gangtok, the capital of Indian
state of Sikkim on JN Marg and only citizens of India can visit the pass, that
too after obtaining a permit in Gangtok.
Nathu La is one of the three open trading
border posts between China and India; the other two are Shipkila in Himachal
Pradesh and Lipulekh (or Lipulech) in Uttarakhand. Sealed by India after the 1962
Sino-Indian War, Nathu La was re-opened in 2006 following numerous bilateral
trade agreements. The opening of the pass was expected to bolster the economy
of the region and play a key role in the growing Sino-Indian trade. Currently,
agreements between the two nations limit trade across the pass to 29 types of
goods from India and 15 from the Chinese side. The opening also shortens the
travel distance to important Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the region.
Nathula
pass day tour is available from Tuesday
to Sundays and is only
available for Domestic tourist.
Permit
to visit Tsomgo Lake and Nathula pass is processed through Sikkim Tourism
and Police Check post a day in advance(evening) with essential documents like
Identity cards or passport and passport size photos. It is suggested to book
this tour well in advance with a Travel Agency and confirm your reservation
with them as there is a heavy demand during the tourist season.
