The Pangong is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas situated at a height of about 14,270 ft in the Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is 134 km long and extends from India to Tibet. Approximately 60% of the length of the lake lies in Tibet. The lake is 5 km wide at its broadest point. All together it covers 604 sq.kms. It freezes completely in winters,despite being saline water. The most notable feature is that the lake frequently changes its hue.
The lake is in the process of being identified under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. This will be the first trans-boundary wetland in South Asia under the convention.
Pangong is in the disputed territory between India and China. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) passes through the lake. A section of the lake approximately 20 km east from the LAC is controlled by China but claimed by India. The Eastern end of the lake is in Tibet and is not claimed by India. The Western end of the lake is not in dispute. After the mid-19th century, Pangong Lake was at the Southern end of the so-called Johnson Line, an early attempt at demarcation between India and China in the Aksai Chin region.
The Khurnak Fort lies on the Northern bank of the lake, halfway of Pangong Tso. China has controlled the Khurnak Fort area since 1952. Pangong saw military action during the Sino-Indian War in 1962.
Pangong is still a delicate border point along the LAC and incursions from Chinese side are common.
The Pangong Lake was an important location in the movie 3- Idiots when Kareena Kapoor came riding a scooter to meet Aamir Khan.
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