The Pir Panjal Range ( ; ) is a range of mountains in the Lower Himalayan region located in the

Western Himalayas The Western Himalayas are the western half of the Himalayas, in northwestern India and northern Pakistan. Four of the five tributaries of the Indus River in Punjab ( Beas, Chenab, Jhelum, and Ravi) rise in the Western Himalayas; while the fi ...

of northern

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

. It runs southeast to northwest between the Beas and Neelam/Kishanganga rivers, in the Indian state of

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

and Indian-administered union territory of

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...

, with its northwestern end extending into territory administered by Pakistan. The Himalayas show a gradual elevation towards the

Dhauladhar Dhauladhar () () is a mountain range which is part of a Lower Himalayan Range, lesser Himalayan chain of mountains in northern India. It rises from the Siwalik Hills, Shivalik hills, to the north of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, Kangra and Mandi, ...

and Pir Panjal ranges. Pir Panjal is the largest and westernmost range of the Lesser Himalayas. Near the bank of the

Sutlej River The Sutlej River or the Satluj River is a major river in Asia, flowing through China, India and Pakistan, and is the longest of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. It is also known as ''Satadru''; and is the easternmost tributary of th ...

, it dissociates itself from the main Himalayan range and forms a divide between the Beas and

Ravi Ravi may refer to: People * Ravi (name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Ravi (composer) (1926–2012), Indian music director * Ravi (Ivar Johansen) (born 1976), Norwegian musical artist * Ravi (rapper) (born 1993), a Sou ...

rivers on one side and the

Chenab The Chenab River is a major river in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, the Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul region of Himac ...

on the other. Further west, the Pir Panjal range forms the southwestern boundary of the

Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the Vale of Kashmir, is an intermontane valley in northern Jammu and Kashmir, a region in Indian-administered Kashmir.(a) (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcont ...

, separating it from the hills of

Jammu Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...

region, forming a divide between the

Jhelum Jhelum (; , ) is a city, located along the western bank of the Jhelum River, in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 21st largest city in Punjab and 31st largest in Pakistan, by population. Located in northern Punjab, it serves as the capital of the ...

and Chenab rivers.

Etymology

The Pir Panjal range is named after the

Pir Panjal Pass The Pir Panjal Pass, also called Peer Ki Gali (or ''Peer Gali''), is a mountain pass and a tourist destination located in the Pir Panjal Range in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It connects the Kashmir Valley to the Rajouri and Poonch districts of ...

, whose original name as recorded by Srivara, is ''Panchaladeva'' (

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Brahmic family, Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that ...

: ''Pāñcāladeva'', meaning the deity of ''Panchala'').

Panchala Panchala () was an ancient kingdom of northern India, located in the Ganges-Yamuna Doab of the Upper Gangetic plain which is identified as Kanyakubja or region around Kannauj. During Late Vedic times (c. 1100–500 BCE), it was one of the ...

is a country mentioned in the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

in the northwest

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

. However, there are also traditions that place the Mahabharata regions in western Punjab and southern Kashmir. Scholar

Dineshchandra Sircar Dineshchandra Sircar (1907–1985), also known as D. C. Sircar or D. C. Sarkar, was an epigraphist, historian, numismatist and folklorist, known particularly in India and Bangladesh for his work deciphering inscriptions. He was the Chief E ...

has analysed the geography described in the ''

Shakti Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; 'energy, ability, strength, effort, power, might, capability') in Hinduism, is the "Universal Power" that underlies and sustains all existence. Conceived as feminine in essence, Shakti refer ...

‐sangama

Tantra Tantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed on the India, Indian subcontinent beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, first within Shaivism and later in Buddhism. The term ''tantra'', in the Greater India, Indian tr ...

'', where this is indeed the case. Scholar M. A. Stein believes that the concept of deity must have been translated into that of a Pir after the region was Islamised.

Peaks of the range

Deo Tibba Deo Tibba is a mountain located in Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India at a height of 6001 metres. It is situated in the Pir Panjal Range The Pir Panjal Range ( ; ) is a range of mountains in the Lower Himalayan region located in t ...

() and

Indrasan Mount Indrasan is located at an altitude of 6221 metres above sea level in Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh. Mt. Indrasan is considered as the most difficult mountain to climb in the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas because of the challenges ...

() are two important peaks at the eastern end of the mountain range. They can be approached from both the

Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...

-Beas Valley (Kulu District), Upper Belt of Chamba Himachal Pradesh and the Chandra (Upper Chenab) Valley (

Lahaul The Lahaul and Spiti district is a high-altitude district in Himachal Pradesh, north India. This entirely mountainous district consists of two geographically distinct as well as formerly separate political-administrative units, called Lahaul ( ...

and

Spiti Spiti (pronounced as piti in Bhoti language) is a high-altitude region of the Himalayas, located in the north-eastern part of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name "Spiti" means "The middle land", i.e. the land between Tib ...

District) in Himachal Pradesh. The

hill station A hill station is a touristic town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The English term was originally used mostly in Western imperialism in Asia, colonial Asia, but also in Africa (albeit rarely), for towns founded by ...

Gulmarg Gulmarg (), known as Gulmarag (; in Kashmiri language, Kashmiri), is a town, hill station, tourist destination, skiing destination, and a notified area committee in the Baramulla district of the northern Kashmir Valley of the Indian union terri ...

in Kashmir lies in this range.

Passes

Haji Pir Pass (altitude ) on the western Pir Panjal range on the road between Poonch and

Uri Uri may refer to: Places * Canton of Uri, a canton in Switzerland * Úri, a village and commune in Hungary * Uri, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province * Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, a town in India * Uri (island), off Malakula Island in V ...

Indian-administered Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. The term has since ...

. Despite taking the pass twice in military operations (in

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...

and

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...

), India left the pass under Pakistani control. The

(also called ''Peer Ki Gali'') connects the Kashmir valley with

Rajouri Rajouri or Rajauri (; ; ) is a city in the Rajouri district in the Jammu division of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is located about from Srinagar and from Jammu (city), Jammu city on ...

and Poonch via the Mughal Road. It is the highest point of the Mughal Road at and lies to the southwest of the Kashmir Valley. The nearest town to the pass in the Kashmir valley is

Shopian Shopian (), known as Shupyan () in Kashmiri, is an administrative division of the Shopian district. It is located in southern part of Kashmir Valley, of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Shopian is called the ''Apple town of Kashmir'' as majority o ...

. The

Munawar Pass Munawar Pass is a high mountain pass located in Pir Panjal Range in Indian Kashmir. It lies in the north of Pir ki Gali and overlooks the town of Rajouri. Munawar Pass witnessed some of the heaviest fighting during Operation Gibraltar in 1965 a ...

(altitude ) is a pass north of Peer Ki Gali, overlooking Rajouri. The

Banihal pass Banihal Pass (Hindi: बनिहाल दर्रा, Urdu: ) is a mountain pass across the Pir Panjal Range in India at a maximum elevation of . It connects the Kashmir Valley in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to the outer ...

() lies at the head of the

River at the southern end of the Kashmir Valley. Banihal and

Qazigund Qazigund (, ), also known as Gateway Of Kashmir, is a town and in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Qazigund is located at . It has an average elevation of 1670 m (5478 feet) above mean sea level. Due to its geogra ...

lie on either side of the pass. The

Sinthan pass Sinthan Top is a mountain pass, a popular tourist destination located in Kishtwar district and borders with South Kashmir's Breng Valley (Sub-District Kokernag) of Anantnag district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Majority ...

connects the Kashmir valley with Kishtwar in the Jammu region. The

Saach Pass Sachche Pass also known wrongly as sach pass is a mountain pass in Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh, India on the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas. Himachal Touris. ''Himachal Tourism''. Accessed 6 December 2019. It is from the District H ...

, a mountain pass in the

Chamba district Chamba district is the northwestern district of Himachal Pradesh, in India, with its headquarters in Chamba town. The towns of Dalhousie, Khajjhiar and Churah Valley are popular hill stations and vacation spots for the people from the plains ...

connecting Chamba with the Pangi valley of

, India. Himachal Touris

. ''Himachal Tourism''. Accessed 6 December 2019.

Rohtang Rohtang Pass (Rohtang , literally meaning "pile of corpses"Polgreen, Lydia. ''New York Times''. Accessed 31 July 2010.) is a high mountain pass (elevation ) on the eastern end of the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas around from Manali in t ...

La (altitude ) is a

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration t ...

on the eastern Pir Panjal range connecting Manali in the

Kullu Kullu () is a municipal council town that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Valley about north of the airport ...

Valley to

Keylong Kyelang (also spelled Keylong) is a town and the administrative centre of the Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, north of Manali via Atal Tunnel and from the Indo-Tibetan border. It is located along the Mana ...

in the Lahaul Valley.

Tunnels

Jawahar Tunnel

The

Jawahar Tunnel Jawahar Tunnel, also called Banihal Tunnel is a road tunnel at elevation of in union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India below the Banihal Pass in the Pir Panjal mountain range in lower Himalayas. It was named after Jawaharlal Nehru, t ...

is a long tunnel through Pir Panjal mountain under the Banihal pass connects Banihal with Qazigund on the other side of the mountain. The Jawahar Tunnel was named after the first Prime Minister of India was constructed in the early 1950s and commissioned in December 1956 to ensure snow-free passage throughout the year. It is at elevation of about . It was designed for 150 vehicles per day but now used by more than 7,000 vehicles per day. Therefore, a new wider and longer tunnel has been planned at a lower elevation.

Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel

Construction of a new long twin-tube

Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel is a road tunnel connecting Banihal and Qazigund, thus helping in bypassing the Banihal Pass in the Pir Panjal mountain range in lower Himalayas. It is a Twin-Tube tunnel, carrying four lanes of National Highway 4 ...

started in 2011 and was commissioned in 2021. The new tunnel is at a lower elevation than the existing Jawahar tunnel and has reduced the road distance between Banihal and Qazigund by . It is also less prone to snow avalanches as it is at a lower elevation.

Atal Tunnel

The

Atal Tunnel Atal Tunnel () is a road tunnel connecting Manali and Keylong. It helps in bypassing the Rohtang Pass, Himachal Pradesh in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas. It carries two lanes of National Highway 3. It is the longest highwa ...

has been built under the

Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway. With length, the tunnel is the second longest road tunnel in India and has reduced the distance between Manali and

by about . The tunnel is at elevation whereas the Rohtang pass is at elevation. Lying on the Manali-Leh axis, this is one of the two routes to Ladakh.

Banihal Railway Tunnel

The

Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel The Banihal-Qazigund Railway Tunnel or Pir Panjal railway tunnel is an long railway tunnel located in Pir Panjal Range of middle Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir, India, south of Qazigund town. It is a part of the Jammu–Baramulla line. ...

, an railway tunnel, passes through the Pir Panjal Range in Jammu and Kashmir. It connects

Quazigund Qazigund (, ), also known as Gateway Of Kashmir, is a town and in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Qazigund is located at . It has an average elevation of 1670 m (5478 feet) above mean sea level. Due to its geograp ...

and

Banihal Banihal is a town and a notified area committee, near Ramban town in Ramban district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a rural and hilly area with Kamirwah being one of the most prominent hills. It is located about ...

and is a part of the

Udhampur Udhampur (ˌʊd̪ʱəmpur) is a city and a municipal council in Udhampur district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters of Udhampur District. Named after Raja Udham Singh, it serves as the district capit ...

-Srinagar-

Baramulla Baramulla (), also known as Varmul () in Kashmiri, is a city and municipality of the Baramulla district of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various r ...

railway project. The tunnel was commissioned on 26 June 2013 for regular service. It is India's longest railway tunnel.