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Indian Geography15 Concepts & Facts

Western & Eastern Ghats: Sahyadri Ranges, Gaps & Peaks

The Western and Eastern Ghats constitute the defining orographic rims of the Peninsular Plateau, exhibiting stark contrasts in tectonic age, continuity, and lithological composition. The Western Ghats (Sahyadri) extend 1,600 kilometers from the Tapi valley down to Kanyakumari as a steep, continuous scarp formed by continental rifting during the Cretaceous separation of Greater India. Spanning northern basaltic flows, central Archaean granites, and southern granulite massifs, the chain is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a global biodiversity hotspot. Conversely, the Eastern Ghats represent an ancient, highly eroded, and discontinuous Precambrian mobile belt composed predominantly of charnockites and khondalites. The two mountain systems converge structurally at the Biligirirangan and Nilgiri massifs, where Doddabetta (2,637 meters) anchors the orographic junction.

Orographic and drainage mechanics govern the structural contrast between these ranges. The Western Ghats intercept the southwest summer monsoon, producing precipitation exceeding three hundred centimeters along western slopes while casting a rain-shadow across the Deccan interior. Scarp transportation relies on key passes: Thal Ghat connects Mumbai to Nashik, Bhor Ghat links Mumbai to Pune, and the Palghat Gap divides the Nilgiris from the Anaimalai Hills between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The highest peninsular summit, Anamudi (2,695 meters), rises within the Anaimalai range, alongside Kalsubai in Maharashtra and Mullayanagiri in Karnataka. Conversely, east-flowing rivers have dissected the Eastern Ghats into disconnected blocks including the Nallamala, Palkonda, Javadi, and Shevaroy hills, culminating at Jindhagada Peak (1,690 meters) in the Araku Valley.

Ecological governance across the Western Ghats involves regulatory demarcations evaluated by the Madhav Gadgil and K. Kasturirangan committees, which proposed Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) to regulate mining, quarrying, and thermal power construction. In UPSC CSE, State PSC, and SSC examinations, this subject features prominently across physical geography and environmental conservation modules. Candidates are routinely tested on the north-to-south sequential alignment of hill ranges (from Nallamala and Palkonda to Javadi and Shevaroy), the specific regional connectivity of mountain passes, drainage origins at Trimbakeshwar, Mahabaleshwar, and Talakaveri, and the comparative structural evolution of the ancient Eastern Ghats mobile belt versus the faulted western escarpment.
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Key Concepts & Self-Assessment15 Key Facts

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  1. #1
    The Western Ghats (Sahyadri) span 1,600 km as a continuous orographic barrier, hosting the highest peninsular peak, Anamudi (2,695 m) in the Anaimalai Hills.
  2. #2
    Major structural passes through the Western Ghats include Thal Ghat (Mumbai-Nashik), Bhor Ghat (Mumbai-Pune), and the Palghat Gap (Kerala-Tamil Nadu corridor).
  3. #3
    The Eastern Ghats form an older, highly eroded, and discontinuous chain dissected by the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri river deltas.
  4. #4
    The highest summit of the Eastern Ghats is Jindhagada Peak (1,690 m) located in the northern Circars / Araku Valley of Andhra Pradesh.
  5. #5
    The Western and Eastern Ghats converge geologically at the Nilgiri Hills, where Doddabetta (2,637 m) functions as the prominent junction massif.
  6. #6
    UNESCO designated the Western Ghats as a World Heritage site in 2012, recognizing thirty-nine individual protected areas as global biodiversity hotspots.
  7. #7
    The Western Ghats are classified into Northern Sahyadri (basaltic lava flows up to Goa), Central Sahyadri (granitic-gneissic terrain to Nilgiris), and Southern Sahyadri.
  8. #8
    Kalsubai Peak (1,646 m) in the Harishchandragad mountain range represents the highest elevated topographical summit in the northern Sahyadri of Maharashtra.
  9. #9
    Kudremukh peak (1,892 m) in the Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka forms a major iron-ore rich mountain block in the Central Sahyadri.
  10. #10
    The Shencottah Gap connects Madurai in Tamil Nadu with Kollam in Kerala, providing a southern arterial mountain transit corridor through the Cardamom Hills.
  11. #11
    The Cardamom Hills (Yela Mala) represent the southernmost extremity of the Western Ghats, hosting spice plantations and bordered by Agasthyamalai (1,868 m).
  12. #12
    Mahendragiri (1,501 m) in the Gajapati district of Odisha functions as a prominent historical peak in the northern section of the Eastern Ghats.
  13. #13
    The Shevaroy Hills and Javadi Hills in northern Tamil Nadu represent eroded relics of the Eastern Ghats composed of charnockite rocks.
  14. #14
    The Western Ghats generate west-flowing swift torrents like the Sharavathi, which drops 253 meters at Jog Falls to create significant hydroelectric energy.
  15. #15
    The Gadgil Committee (2011) and Kasturirangan Committee (2013) were constituted by the Union Ministry of Environment to demarcate Ecologically Sensitive Areas across the Western Ghats.

Subject Specialist Commentary

Analytical perspective & practical exam advice from the Master10 academic board

Educator's Insight
Flanking India's southern peninsula, the Western and Eastern Ghats form two contrasting mountain systems that dictate the region's climate and ecology. The Western Ghats, or Sahyadri, form a steep, continuous 1,600-kilometer barrier catching heavy Arabian Sea monsoon rains, interrupted only by mountain passes like Thal Ghat, Bhor Ghat, and Palghat. Conversely, the Eastern Ghats form a lower, weathered, and broken chain that has been eroded by major eastward-flowing rivers before meeting at the Nilgiris.
In competitive exams like UPSC and SSC CGL, questions frequently test peak elevations and mountain passes. Watch out for a common trap regarding the highest peak in the Eastern Ghats: older textbooks cite Mahendragiri, but Jindhagada Peak at 1,690 meters in Andhra Pradesh is the true summit. For quick memory revision, remember that Anamudi in the Anaimalai Hills is the highest peak in Peninsular India, while Doddabetta is the highest point within the Nilgiri massif.

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