Bitang Tso on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Kupup is a hamlet in the Indian state of
Sikkim
Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...
near the border with China. It lies in a transverse valley below the Dongkya Range
Dongkya or Dongkhya range, is a mountain range in the Himalayas that forms the eastern border of Sikkim, a state of India. Its northern tip extends to Dongkha La, and as it moves southwards, sometimes referred to as the Chola range, it is cut by ...
, close to the Jelep La
Jelep La (; ) elevation , is a high mountain pass between Sikkim, India and Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It is on a route that connects Lhasa to India. The pass is about south of Nathu La and is slightly higher. It was frequently used for t ...
pass. A nearby moraine ridge across the valley forms part of the watershed between the Teesta
Teesta River is a long river that rises in the Pauhunri Mountain of eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal and subsequently enters Bangladesh through Rangpur division. In Bangladesh, it merges with Jamuna ...
and Dichu river basins. To the southeast of the ridge is the lake Bitang Tso, also called the Elephant Lake or Kupup Lake, from which the Dichu river is conventionally believed to originate.
Beyond the valley of Dichu to the east is the Mount Gipmochi
Gipmochi (Gyemo Chen or Gamochen, 'The Great Queen') is a mountain in the Lower Himalayas in south central Asia. Rising to a height of , the mountain sits on the border between the northern Indian state of Sikkim and Bhutan. China claims Gipmoc ...
, which China claims as the trijunction between India, Bhutan
Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...
and itself, but this is disputed by Bhutan and India. The Doka La
Doklam (),
called Donglang ( zh, c=洞朗) by China, is an area in Chumbi Valley with a high plateau and a valley, lying between China's Yadong County to the north, Bhutan's Haa District to the east and India's Sikkim state to the west. Since ...
pass, next to Gipmochi where India has a border outpost
A border outpost, border out post, border observation post or BOP
Kupup lies in a transverse depression between the
''State of Environment – Sikkim'', 2007, p. 58. A road to the
Ground Report from last Post to Doklam, Latest Sore Point in India-China Ties
News18, 29 July 2017.
The New Indian Express. Has photographs of Bitang Tso and the Kupup village. China–India border Gangtok district
Kupup lies in a transverse depression between the Dongkya Range
Dongkya or Dongkhya range, is a mountain range in the Himalayas that forms the eastern border of Sikkim, a state of India. Its northern tip extends to Dongkha La, and as it moves southwards, sometimes referred to as the Chola range, it is cut by ...
that forms the border of Sikkim, and the mountains to the southwest. The Bitang Tso or Elephant Lake, a glacial lake
A glacial lake is a body of water with origins from glacier activity. They are formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the depression created by the glacier.
Formation
Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,0 ...
that is regarded as the source of the Dichu river, is next to Kupup in the same depressioin. Kupup lies on the higher ground to the northwest of the Bitang Tso lake.
Darjeeling superintendent J. W. Edgar, who surveyed the area for the construction of a road to Tibet in 1874, described Kupup as "a grassy and rather marshy valley". It was said that 1,500 men could encamp in the valley. Fuel and rhododendron scrub were plentiful in the locality. To the northeast of the valley is a steep hill called "Tent Hill", which rises to 1,000 ft. A stream flows down from the Jelep La pass and bends around the Tent Hill to the northwest, and drains into Menmecho Lake, which was described by Edgar as being especially beautiful. The river flowing from here is called Rangpo Chu
The Rangpo Chu is a tributary of the River Rangpo, which in turn is a tributary of the Teesta River in the Indian state of Sikkim. It originates near the Jelep La pass in East Sikkim district. It feeds the high-altitude Lake Menmecho. The word ' ...
, which is an upstream tributary of the Teesta River
Teesta River is a long river that rises in the Pauhunri Mountain of eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal and subsequently enters Bangladesh through Rangpur division. In Bangladesh, it merges with Jamu ...
.
To the southeast of Kupup, the Bitang Tso is considered the source of the Dichu River
The Jaldhaka River (Pron:/ˌdʒælˈdɑːkə/) (), also known as Dichu, is a tributary of the Brahmaputra and a trans-boundary river flowing through India, Bhutan and Bangladesh with a length of 233 kilometres. It originates from the Bitang L ...
, even though other streams flowing down from the Dongkya Range provide a greater volume of water. Dichu flows southeast until Mount Gipmochi
Gipmochi (Gyemo Chen or Gamochen, 'The Great Queen') is a mountain in the Lower Himalayas in south central Asia. Rising to a height of , the mountain sits on the border between the northern Indian state of Sikkim and Bhutan. China claims Gipmoc ...
on the western shoulder of the Doklam
Doklam (),
called Donglang ( zh, c=洞朗) by China, is an area in Chumbi Valley with a high plateau and a valley, lying between China's Yadong County to the north, Bhutan's Haa District to the east and India's Sikkim state to the west. Since ...
plateau, where it turns south and enters Bhutan.
The cart road to Jelep La
Jelep La (; ) elevation , is a high mountain pass between Sikkim, India and Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It is on a route that connects Lhasa to India. The pass is about south of Nathu La and is slightly higher. It was frequently used for t ...
on Sikkim–Tibet border, eventually laid by the British, ran on the watershed between Teesta and Dichu rivers. The watershed continues on to the moraine ridge above Bitang Tso. British explorers noted that, from here on, the road to Jelep La had a gentle ascent, which was no more than above.
Current status
After the independence of India, a motorable road was constructed betweenGangtok
Gangtok (, ) is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Sikkim. The seat of East Sikkim district, eponymous district, Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an elevation of . The city's population of 100 ...
and Nathu La
Nathu La(, Sikkimese language, Sikkimese: རྣ་ཐོས་ལ་) is a mountain pass in the Dongkya Range of the Himalayas between China's Yadong County in Tibet, and the Indian states of Sikkim. But minor touch of Bengal in South Asia. T ...
(up to Sherathang
Sherathang is a town in Gangtok district near the Nathu La Pass in Sikkim, India. The location has been identified as the site for excise, customs and checking for trade between India and China. Rinqingang is the corresponding location in Chin ...
) during 1954–1958. The use of Jelep La was also continued, via the old British cart road as well as along the Nathu La road via Sherathang (8 km from Kupup).
Trade relations between India and China were suspended during the 1962 Sino-Indian War
The Sino–Indian War, also known as the China–India War or the Indo–China War, was an armed conflict between China and India that took place from October to November 1962. It was a military escalation of the Sino–Indian border dispu ...
and the passes were closed. In 2006, Nathu La was reopened by mutual agreement. A motorable road along the old British alignment has been constructed between Kalimpong
Kalimpong is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of . The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The region comes under Gorkhaland Territo ...
and Kupup, which continues on to Sherathang and Nathu La.
A second settlement of Kupup has grown up on the high ground above Bitang Tso, to support the Indian armed forces.Wetlands of Sikkim''State of Environment – Sikkim'', 2007, p. 58. A road to the
Doka La
Doklam (),
called Donglang ( zh, c=洞朗) by China, is an area in Chumbi Valley with a high plateau and a valley, lying between China's Yadong County to the north, Bhutan's Haa District to the east and India's Sikkim state to the west. Since ...
pass near Mount Gipmochi
Gipmochi (Gyemo Chen or Gamochen, 'The Great Queen') is a mountain in the Lower Himalayas in south central Asia. Rising to a height of , the mountain sits on the border between the northern Indian state of Sikkim and Bhutan. China claims Gipmoc ...
, 5 km distant, runs from Kupup on the northeast side of the valley. During the 73-day Doklam standoff
Doklam (),
called Donglang ( zh, c=洞朗) by China, is an area in Chumbi Valley with a high plateau and a valley, lying between China's Yadong County to the north, Bhutan's Haa District to the east and India's Sikkim state to the west. Since ...
in 2017, Kupup formed a key link for the Indian military.Karma PaljorGround Report from last Post to Doklam, Latest Sore Point in India-China Ties
News18, 29 July 2017.
Notes
References
Bibliography
* * * * * * {{citation , first=Richard , last=Temple , author-link=Sir Richard Temple, 1st Baronet , title=The Lake Region of Sikkim, on the Frontier of Tibet , journal=Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography , date=June 1881 , volume=3 , number=6 , pages=321–340 , doi=10.2307/1800507 , jstor=1800507 , url=https://zenodo.org/record/2274571 , ref={{sfnref, Temple, The Lake Region of Sikkim, 1881External links
The New Indian Express. Has photographs of Bitang Tso and the Kupup village. China–India border Gangtok district