Major Mountain Ranges & Physiographic Divisions

I. First Principle – India’s Physiographic Divisions

India is broadly divided into:

  1. The Himalayan Mountains

  2. The Northern Plains

  3. The Peninsular Plateau

  4. The Indian Desert

  5. The Coastal Plains

  6. The Islands

UPSC may ask which of the following belong to Peninsular Plateau or Himalayas.

II. Himalayan Ranges – North to South Structure

The Himalayas are divided into three parallel ranges:

  1. Greater Himalayas (Himadri)

  2. Lesser Himalayas (Himachal)

  3. Shiwaliks

Greater Himalayas:

  • Highest peaks

  • Permanently snow-covered

  • Contains major glaciers

Lesser Himalayas:

  • Hill stations (Shimla, Mussoorie)

Shiwaliks:

  • Outer foothills

  • Youngest range

Prelims trap:

Do not place hill stations in Himadri.

III. Trans-Himalayas

Located north of Greater Himalayas.

Includes:

Karakoram Range
Ladakh Range
Zanskar Range

Mount K2 lies in Karakoram.

Prelims trap:

Karakoram is not part of main Himalayan chain.

IV. Major Himalayan Peaks

Kanchenjunga:

Located in Sikkim.

Second highest peak in India.

Nanda Devi:

Located in Uttarakhand.

UPSC may ask state-location mapping.

V. Peninsular Plateau Ranges

These are much older than Himalayas.

Key ranges:

Aravalli Range
Vindhya Range
Satpura Range
Western Ghats
Eastern Ghats

VI. Aravalli Range

One of the oldest fold mountains.

Runs from:

Gujarat to Delhi.

Prelims trap:

Aravalli does not run east-west across central India.

VII. Vindhya & Satpura

Vindhya lies north of Satpura.

Between Vindhya and Satpura flows Narmada River.

This is extremely important.

UPSC may ask which river flows between these ranges.

VIII. Western Ghats

Runs parallel to west coast.

Higher and more continuous than Eastern Ghats.

Major passes like Palghat Gap break the continuity.

Prelims trap:

Western Ghats are continuous; Eastern Ghats are discontinuous.

IX. Eastern Ghats

Located along east coast.

Discontinuous and lower.

Interrupted by rivers like:

Godavari
Krishna
Mahanadi

X. Deccan Plateau

Lies south of Narmada River.

Made of volcanic basalt.

Also called Deccan Traps.

UPSC may test geological origin.

XI. Common Prelims Traps

  • Confusing Karakoram with Himalayas.

  • Forgetting Narmada flows between Vindhya & Satpura.

  • Mixing Western & Eastern Ghats continuity.

  • Assuming Aravalli is young fold mountain.

  • Placing Deccan Plateau north of Narmada.

XII. Likely Question Patterns

  • Arrange Himalayan ranges north to south.

  • Which river flows between Vindhya and Satpura?

  • Which range is the oldest?

  • Which ghats are discontinuous?

Physiography + rivers = high elimination zone.

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