Short essay on Mountains of India

High mountain ranges run along the entire northern boundary of India. The world most famous mountain ranges is Himalayas which run f_rom the Indus valley in the west to the Brahmaputra in the east stretching over a distance of 2,500 kilometers.

Himalayan ranges are divided into three parts:

(i) The Greater Himalayas or Inner Himalayas

(ii) Middle or Lesser Himalayas

(iii) Outer Himalayas or Shivalik.

(i)The Greater Himalayas-The northern most range of the ‘ Himalayas is called the Greater Himalayas. It is also known as the Hirradiri. This Greater Himalayas are of an average height of 6100 meters and is always snow-capped. This range has some of the highest peaks in the world. Mount Everest, Mount Kanchanjunga, Nanga Parbat, Nandadevi and Badrinath are sorrne of them.

(ii) The Lesser Himalayas–

It is also known as Himachal. This range is situated to the south of the Greater Himalayas and parallel to it. The average height of this range is 4000 meters. Many beautiful hill stations, nestle in the lesser Himalayas. Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital, Kashmir,Kathmandu, Kangaroo and Kulflu valleys are some of them.

(iii) Outer Himalayas or Shivalik–

This is the southernmost range off the Himalayas. Its average height is 1000 meters. It is made; up of soil and pebbles which are called duns or duars. (Dehraduns, Haridwars).

The highest peak of the Himalayas is Mount Everest which is situated in Nepal and is 8848 meters high. This peak is also the world’s highest peak,

The eastward continuations of the Himalayas beyond the Brahmaputra valley are collectively known as the Purvachal. They include the Patkaai Bum, Naga, Garo, Khasi, Jaintia and Mizo hills. The Himalayas are known by different names from west to east, (i) Kashmir Himalayas, (ii) Punjab Himalayas,

(iii) Kumaoon Himalayas, (iv) Nepal Himalayas,

(v) Assam Himalayas.

Kashmir Himalayas, Punjab Himalayas and Kumaon Himalayas ^together is called western Himalayas.

The Deccan Mountains-

The Deccan Plateau is almost angular in shape. The Aravallis, the Vindhyas and the Satpuras fountain lie in the northern part of the Deccan Plateau. The hills Ordering the Deccan plateau on the east are known as the Eastern hats. The Western flank of the Deccan plateau is known as western ghat or Sabyadari hills. Rajmahal mountain range is situated at the south- eastern part of Bihar. Nilgiri mountain is located in the southern India at the meeting point of western and eastern Ghats. The high peak of the Nilgiri mountain is Dodabeta. Ooty the most beautiful station in south India is situated on the Nilgiri hills. ‘Mahendraq . mountain is in Orissa whereas the famous Bababudan Mountain (Iron Hill) is situated in the state of Kamataka.

There are mainly four plateaus in India:

(i) Malwa Plateau-

Situated in and around Madhya Pradesh

(ii) Chotanagpur Plateau-

It is situated in the state of Jharkhand and is popularly known as store house of Indian Minerals.

(iii) Meghalaya Plateau–

It is situated in the north-eastern regi_0r of India.

(iv) Deccan Plateau-

It is situated in the southern part of India and is spread over in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh, Kama taka and Andhra Pradesh. The northern part of the plateau is known as lava region or Deccan Trap.