Indira Col

The la in Ladakhi language means a mountain pass. The eastern col was named Indira Col in 1912 by Bullock Workman, after one of the names of the goddess Lakshmi.[9]

In 1889, British raj army officer and explorer Francis Younghusband reached the base of Turkestan La (North) from north side, and he noted that this was a long glacier and a major Central Asian dividing range.[7]

Colonel Narendra "Bull" Kumar reached Indira Col (the western col) in 1981.[8][11][12] In 1998 Harish Kapadia reached the same col; on his map and text he refers to it as the "main Indira Col" and "Indira Col West", whereas he refers to the col 2.4 km to the east as the "Indira Col East (Workman)." [13] Indirakoli Pass（Chinese: 因地拉科里山口） name on the Chinese maps refers to 35°40′17″N 76°50′26″E coordinates is claimed by Pakistan,[14] which is "Indira Col East".

In 1984, Indian soldiers traveled across Siachen glacier, scaled many peaks and passes including the Indira Col as part of the Operation Meghdoot.

After that, Harish Kapadia and his colleagues also explored various peaks passes, ranges subranges and glaciers in the Siachen area.

Territories on all sides of Indira Col are disputed. Area south of the Indira Col West is controlled by India and also claimed by Pakistan. North of Indira Col West is Trans-Karakoram Tract claimed by India but controlled by China under a 1963 border agreement with Pakistan.[15] The AGPL generally runs along the Saltoro Mountains range, beginning from the northernmost point of the (LOC) at Point NJ 9842 and ending northwest of Indira Col West in the north, with peaks in excess of 7,000 meters and average low temperatures around minus 50 Celsius.[16] India gained control of 985 square miles (2,550 km²) of disputed territory in 1984 because of its military operations in Siachen.[17][18]

Indira Col is near the tri-junction of India-China-Pakistan controlled areas.

Indira Ridge, from west to east, has following features:[7][10]

• Sia Kangri,
• Indira Col West ,
• India Saddle ,
• Indira Col East,
• Turkestan La (North) (Younghusband) (Chinese: 图尔吉斯坦拉山口, coordinates 35°39′24″N 76°51′38″E) which was identified by the British explorer Younghusband, and
• Turkestan La (East) (traditional) (coordinates 35°39′00″N 76°51′35″E) which is an ancient or "traditional" pass.

• AGPL end point,

Between Indira Col West and Indira Col East is India Saddle between the Siachen Glacier to the south and the Urdok Glacier to the north in the Shaksgam (Trans-Karakoram Tract), on the watershed between the Indus River basin and the Tarim Basin. It is too steep to easily descend north from the col to the Urdok Glacier.[6]

The main channel of Siachen Glacier, which flows from north to south into India, begins from the southern slope of Indira Col West. The Urdok Glacier, which flows from south to north into Trans-Karakoram Tract held by China, begins from the northern slope of Indira Col West, its subbranches Urdok I glacier flows from north to northwest from the northern slope of India Col East and Urdok II glacier flows north to northwest from the northern slope of Turkmenistan La North.[7]

Straghar Glacier runs perpendicular to the Indira Ridge on the eastern side of the ridge (and serves as the LAC between Trans-Karakoram Tract held by China and Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) held by India).[7][10] The Siachen Glacier is explored from the Siachen Base Camp, reachable via Leh-Khalsar-Sasoma army camp-Siachen Base camp road, to the Station A which is the point where main channel of Siachen Glacier meets the Teram Shehr Glacier. From the Station A, the route goes north to Indira Col West.