6 yrs on, India-Tibet border trade via Lipulekh resumes, but now on wheels, not hooves

Pithoragarh: India-Tibet border trade through Lipulekh Pass resumed on Monday after a six-year suspension caused by Covid-19, marking a historic shift in a centuries-old tradition. For the first time since traders from the Himalayas began carrying goods across the high mountain passes linking India and Tibet, the journey is being undertaken largely on wheels instead of the backs of yaks, jhubbus, mules, goats and sheep that once formed long caravans snaking through rugged terrain.

The trade route connects Dharchula, Gunji, Kalapani and Nabidhang in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district to Burang, also known as Taklakot, in Tibet’s Ngari prefecture. While the strategic road linking Dharchula to Lipulekh Pass was completed in May 2020, trade could not resume that year because of the Covid pandemic. As a result, the route remained unused for commercial activity for six years despite the infrastructure being in place.





For generations, the annual trade season, typically stretching from June to Oct, depended almost entirely on animal transport. Convoys comprising 500 to 600 animals would move along narrow mountain tracks carrying merchandise through some of the most challenging terrain in the Himalayas. Traders from the Bhotia community, who spent summers in villages close to the border and winters in lower valleys, relied on these caravans to sustain an economic and cultural relationship with Tibet that predates modern nation states.

Jeewan Singh Raunkli, president of the Indo-Tibetan border trade committee, said the resumption of trade by road marked a significant change for traders. “The situation has changed in India since the 1960s. The road reached Tawaghat in 1970 and now it has reached Lipulekh. People’s needs have changed too. In 2020, the road from Dharchula to Lipulekh was complete, but trade was paused due to Covid-19. This year, trade has resumed after six years and now goods and traders will reach Lipulekh by road. Traders are excited,” he told TOI.

He added that the new arrangement would sharply reduce transportation costs and travel time. “Road has now reached Lipulekh. Goods and traders will traverse almost the entire stretch by vehicles. This will reduce both time and cost significantly. Traders had also sought a money exchange facility between Indian and Chinese currencies at Gunji, a godown facility near Nabidhang and continuation of the trade period from June to Oct. Govt has given permission for more export items as well,” Raunkli said.

The transformation is particularly striking for older residents who witnessed the trade in its traditional form. Diwan Singh Garvyal, 86, a resident of Dharchula who has observed the evolution of the trade since the 1950s, recalled an era when every stage of the journey depended on animals and human endurance. “Gone are those days of trade’s complete reliance on animals with ‘karbachcha’ — large bags made of wool covered with sheep skin to protect goods against seepage — in which goods were carried through the arduous journey. Now we have a road with vehicles on it,” he told TOI.

Garvyal said preparations for trade began months in advance. Traders first stocked their goods in villages before turning to agricultural work. In May, an official known as ‘gongpo’ would arrive from Tibet and inspect villages and livestock before trade was allowed to begin.

“Their main concern was disease among villagers and their domesticated animals. Following the inspection, they usually sent a report to Gartok in western Tibet. After an affirmative order, they would give the go-ahead for trade to officially commence, mostly in the first week of June,” he said.

The departure of trade caravans was also a social and cultural event. Villagers worshipped their local deities for safety and prosperity before setting off for Taklakot. Family members and neighbours accompanied traders to the edge of the village to bid them farewell before they embarked on a journey lasting several months.

“The route was difficult, with adverse weather and fear of dacoits looming large. Women would at times burst into ‘Mangal geet’ for their men’s safety,” Garvyal said.

Traditionally, yaks led the caravans because of their ability to navigate treacherous mountain paths. They were followed by jhubbus, a crossbreed between a yak and a cow, while goats, sheep and mules carried smaller loads. Shepherd dogs usually brought up the rear, protecting the convoy from attacks by wild animals.

Historically, the trade functioned through a unique system called ‘Gamgaya’, an agreement between Indian and Tibetan traders based largely on trust. The process began with an acceptance of friendship, followed by an oath, often taken on a religious text, and a thumb impression on paper. Much of the exchange was conducted through barter rather than currency.

The goods exchanged reflected the economic needs of both sides of the Himalayas. Traders exported salt, cotton, woollen clothes, copper, iron, aluminium and brass utensils, sugar, jaggery, barley, buckwheat, rice, wheat, tea, edible oil, ghee, dry fruits, carpets and animal products. In return, they imported wool, borax, sheep, goats, musk, animal skins and carpets from Tibet. Many traders travelled as far as Delhi and Calcutta, now Kolkata, to procure merchandise for the annual trading season.

The trade entered a new phase after China took control of Tibet in 1950. Although commerce continued, a formal permit system was introduced following the 1954 India-China trade agreement, which allowed trade and pilgrimage through six Himalayan passes, including Lipulekh. Printed in Hindi, English and Tibetan, the permits were issued by Pithoragarh administration and remained valid for a year. Trade came to a halt after the 1962 India-China war before being gradually revived, with Lipulekh becoming the first Indian border post reopened for formal trade with China in 1992.

Officials believe the latest resumption could provide a significant economic boost to the border region. Pithoragarh DM Ashish Kumar Bhatgai told TOI that preparations were underway to strengthen facilities at Gunji before the trading season gathers momentum.

“The border trade is important for Dharchula. It will create jobs and is a big boost for the local economy. This year’s trade by road will surely reduce both time and costs of goods headed towards Lipulekh. Preparations are underway to develop infrastructure at Gunji. A customs office and an SBI branch will operate before trade begins. We are optimistic and upbeat about the trade’s overall prospects,” Bhatgai said.

For the traders of the Kumaon Himalayas, the reopening is more than the resumption of commerce. It marks the continuation of a centuries-old cross-border relationship, but one that has now entered a new era where pick-up trucks have largely replaced the animal caravans that once defined the journey to Tibet.