Sela Lake

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Geography

Why in News?

Recently, two Kerala tourists drowned after the frozen surface of Arunachal Pradesh’s Sela Lake cracked under their weight.

Location – Sela Lake is a natural glacial lake located in the Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh.
It is also known as Paradise Lake.
It is part of the Sela Pass area, which is one of the highest mountains passes in India.
It is a high-altitude lake that freezes during winter.
Drainage – Sela Lake is located in the Brahmaputra Basin, which is the major river basin covering this region.
Vegetation – The terrain around Sela Pass is mostly barren and rugged.
It has very little vegetation due to high altitude and cold climate.
Spiritual significance – Sela Lake is considered as one of the 101 sacred lakes by the local Monpa tribe.

Monpa is considered as one of the major tribes of the state of Arunachal Pradesh, they follow Tibetan Buddhism.

The region is culturally rich with Buddhist influence, including nearby monasteries.
Strategic importance – Sela Pass has been a strategic route historically, used for trade and military movement.
It is also part of the important connecting route between Tawang and West Kameng districts.
International border – Tawang and West Kameng districts share the international border with Bhutan, and Tawang additionally shares a border with Tibet.
It is located along NH13 (Tezpur-Tawang highway).

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