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Mountain Ranges in India

The stupendous glory of India is unparalleled and unmatched for! No other country, worldwide can compare itself to this glory of India. Whether it is the magnificent waterfalls or the sacred rivers, lush canopies or the verdant valleys or the varied and rich flora and fauna, India has it all in store for you! India is blessed to have experienced every creation of ‘Mother Nature’. And when it comes to mountains, India has no dearth of it. Serene, unruffled, pristine, and majestic, the mountains in India have will never fail to mesmerize, bewitch, and enthrall you. Be it the snow peaks or the lofty crests, meandering valleys or the emerald meadows, the mountain ranges in India are surely there to evoke sanctity and spirituality. Mountains in India are the origin points of many rivers in the country. Acting as the natural barriers for the country, there are nine major mountain ranges in India. These 9 gigantic mountain ranges in India make the subcontinent a major attraction for the tourist by offering immense opportunities for eco-tourism and adventurous activities. However, apart from being scenic wonders of the country and being ecologically useful, the mountain ranges of India, also acts as the natural barriers.

• The Himalayan Range
• The Kunlun Range
• The Karakoram Range
• The Shiwalik Range
• The Patkai Range
• The Aravali Range
• The Vindya Range
• The Western Ghats Range
• The Eastern ghats Range

The Himalayan Range- The Himalayan Mountain or the “land of snow” are the highest and youngest mountain ranges worldwide. Separating India from the remaining part of Asia, the mighty Himalayan ranges consist of 30 peaks with a height of about 7315m. The 2 highest mountain peaks worldwide, Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga are located in the Himalayas. The states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal are nestled within the Himalayas.

The Kunlun Range- Running on the eastward direction, the Kunlun range in India lies on the northern region of Kashmir and the Tibetan plateau.

The Karakoram Range – yet another important mountain range in India, the Karakoram Range is situated in the Ladakh Region of Jammu and Kashmir. Extending 500 km in the south east, the range houses over 60 peaks with an average height of about 7000 m. Popular among the peaks is K2. Some of the longest glacier in the world can also be find here, for instance the Siachen glacier and the Biafo glacier.

The Shiwalik Range- This sub-Himalayan mountain range is situated on the lower Himalaya foothills. It runs from Jammu, through Kangra valley, Sirmaur district, Dehradun to Bhabbar tracts of Garhwal and Kumaon. It consists of smaller hills. Some popular hill stations in India such as Dehradun, Nainital etc are situated in this range.

The Patkai Range- Patkai or Purvanchal ranges are situated in the east of India, thereby connecting the country to Myanmar. This mountain range is replete with steep slopes, conical peaks and deep valleys. 3 main hills that are located in this range are the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia, the Patkai-Bum and the Lushai hills.

The Aravali Range – India’s oldest mountain range, the Aravali mountain range runs around 300 miles from the northeast direction to the southwest, across the state of Rajasthan in western region of India. The sole and famous hill station, Mount Abu is nestled within the Aravalis.

The Vindhya Range and Satpura Range- These 2 mountain ranges in India, runs through out Central India. A low mountain range, the Vindhyas is situated in the state of Madhya Pradesh. With an average height of about 910m, the range sprawls over an area of about 970 km. The Satpuras on the other hand, are a triangular shaped range, originating from the eastern part of Gujarat. It sprawls over an area of about 900km, running mostly through Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to Chhattisgarh.

The Western Ghats- The Western Ghats or the Sahyadri mountain range runs across the north- south western edge of the popular Deccan Plateau in India. Running parallel to the Arabian Sea, the range starts from the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra and passes through Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu and finally ends at Kanya Kumari.

The Eastern Ghats – The Eastern Ghats of merging hills and meandering rivers stretches from the state of West Bengal in the northern region, through Andhra Pradesh and Orissa to Tamil Nadu in the southern part of India. 4 biggest rivers in India, Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, and Kaveri cut the Eastern Ghats, thereby making it irregular at several places. This mountain range has an average height of 600m. The Eastern Ghats runs parallel to the Bay of Bengal. The Deccan Plateau is on the west of the range, in between the Western and the Eastern Ghats. The coastal plain is located in between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. In the southern end, the few low hill ranges are formed by the Eastern Ghats. The southern part of the Eastern Ghats is the Karanthamalai and Sirumalai Hills located in the south of Tamil Nadu. The central region of the Eastern Ghats comprise of 2 parallel ranges, namely the lower Velikonda Range in the east, and the higher Palikonda-Lankamalla-Nallamalla Ranges in the west.

The Eastern Ghats: Merging Hills and Meandering Rivers!

Much older than the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats are located at a height lower than the former. The ranges are situated within 76° 50′ and 86 ° 30 E longitudes and 11° 30′ and 22° N latitude. Extremely fertile, the Eastern Ghats sprawls over an approximate area of 75,000 square km. The Ghats serve as a watershed for numerous rivers since higher waterfall is received by the ranges. Owing to high rainfall and fertility of the land, the ranges help in the better growth of crops. Often called by the name “Estuaries of India”, the Ghats is filled with numerous opportunities for fishing. The Eastern Ghats thus bear an ecological significance as well, like the Western Ghats.

Flora and Fauna of the Eastern Ghats

The diverse environmental niches and ecological situation offers a great habitat for a rich and varied flora and fauna. The ranges house many Asiatic elephants. Apart from that, you can also find Leopards, Gaurs, Nilgiri Tahr, Sambar, and tigers etc. Diverse species of birds can be traced here. As a tourist some of the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the Eastern Ghats are the Baissipalli Wildlife Sanctuary, Simlipal National Park, Satkoshia Gorge Sanctuary etc. Also having a rich flora, one can find a number of medicinal plants in the regions.

Tribal Population in the Eastern Ghats

In the Eastern Ghats, one can find many tribes such as the Jatapu, Savara, Konda Dora, Khond, Manne Dora, Gadaba, and Mukha Dora. These indigenous groups have their unique and individual cultural heritage and traditions. Ancient customs and traditions are followed by the tribal population in the Eastern Ghats. The population till date is largely dependent on haunting and various forest products for earning their livelihood.

High peaks at the Eastern Ghats

The Eastern Ghats consist of the peaks like Mahendragiri, Devagiri, Chandragiri, Deomali Parvat, Malayagiri, Dharakonda, Hatimali, Turiakonda, Sambari Konda, Mettur, Shevaroy, Nallamalla, Kalrayan, Pachamalai hills and many more. In the, several many low hills are formed by the Eastern Ghats, like the Sirumalai and Karanthamalai Hills. The higher elevation hills of the Eastern Ghats are Kalrayan, Palamalai, Pachaimalai, Mettur and Shevaroy in the north of Tamil Nadu. The center of the Eastern Ghats comprises 2 parallel ranges, the higher Palikonda-Lankamalla-Nallamalla Ranges in the western side and the lower Velikonda Range in the eastern side.

Eastern Ghats Reserves, Hill stations and Waterfalls

Both hill stations such as Yercaud in the state of Tamil Nadu and also ecological reserves like in the Bilgiri Hills can be found in the Eastern Ghats of India. The Bilgiri Hills connects the Eastern and the Western Ghats by forming a ecological, forested corridor, running from the east of the Western Ghats up to River Kaveri. The forest region also serves as an important route for the elephants. Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack, Pondicherry, Puri and Rajahmundry are some of the nearby places that you can visit. Be it waterfall such as the Kiliyur Falls or lakes such as the Kolleru Lake, Pullicat Lake or Chilika Lake, the Eastern Ghats of merging hills and meandering rivers have it all!