Banihal Pass is a mountain pass across the Pir Panjal Range at 2,832 m (9,291 ft) maximum elevation. It is located in Ramban district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. This mountain range connects the Kashmir Valley to the outer Himalaya and plains to the south. Banihal Pass is one of the popular mountain passes in the state. In the Kashmiri language the word "Banihal" means blizzard.
Jawahar Tunnel in Banihal Pass
After partition of India, Muzaffarabad-Srinagar was the only road connecting the valley of Kashmir with Jammu which was closed due to political issues. Then Banihal Pass was the passage that connected both the regions until 1956, when a tunnel was bored through the Pir Panjal Mountain. The tunnel below the pass was named as the "Jawahar Tunnel" which had two tubes. The road now passes through the tunnel and the Banihal Pass is no longer used for road transport.
Banihal Pass is the gateway to the Kashmir Valley. The road to the summit, located within the Pir Panjal Range, is mostly asphalted. It is called Srinagar - Jammu Highway. This pass is accessible only during summer season and remained closed in winters due to heavy snowfall. Avalanches, heavy snowfalls and landslides can occur anytime, being extremely dangerous due to frequent patches of ice.
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