The Lipulekh Pass, situated in the high Himalayas at the trijunction of India, Nepal and China, has once again become a focal point of diplomatic tension between India and Nepal.

The pass, located in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, serves as an important route for Indo-China trade and the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet.

The dispute between India and Nepal over this region dates back to the Sugauli Treaty of 1816, which defined the Kali River as the boundary between the two countries.

The core disagreement lies in the identification of the true source of the Kali River, which determines territorial ownership of areas including Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura.

India maintains that these regions are part of Uttarakhand, citing historical administrative control and developments such as infrastructure built by the Border Roads Organisation, including the road connecting Dharchula to Lipulekh inaugurated in 2020.India also refers to its governance of the area since the 1962 war with China.On the other hand, Nepal argues that these territories lie east of the Kali River and therefore fall within Nepali sovereignty.

The disagreement intensified further after India and China agreed in 2015 to use the Lipulekh route for trade and pilgrimage, which Nepal opposed, claiming it was not consulted.Tensions escalated again when Nepal updated its political map in 2020 to include the disputed areas, a move India strongly rejected.In 2026, the issue resurfaced following India and China’s renewed agreement to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra using the Lipulekh route.Nepal has protested this decision, stating that its territorial claims were ignored.The dispute remains unresolved, reflecting deep-rooted historical complexities and continuing geopolitical sensitivities in the region.