India is a land of diverse geography. and has some of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world. From the snowy Himalayas in the north to the lush green Western Ghats. Mountains of India plays an important role in determining the country’s climate, culture and economy. For government job aspirants, understanding these mountain ranges is essential, as questions related to their geographical significance, flora and fauna, and economic impact frequently appear in competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, and state-level exams.
In this blog post We will explore the major mountain ranges of India. Geographic importance and the relevance of these mountain ranges in exam preparation. We hope that these post will help you ensure success in your government job journey.
Mountains of India
- Himalyan Youngest and highest mountain range in India.
- Himalayan ranges are spread across over 2500 km in length.
- Stretching from Jammu and Kashmir in the North to the state of the Arunachal Pradesh in the East.
- HIMALAYAN RANGE – Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, North East India except Tripura
- SATPURA RANGE – Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra border. Highest peak is Dhopgarh.
- VINDHYA RANGE– Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar. Sad- Bhawna Shikhar or Goodwill Peak is the highest peak of Vindhyan range.
- WESTERN GHAT RANGE – Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat. Highest peak is Kolsu Bai, Mahapaleswar.
- EASTERN GHAT RANGE– Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana. Highest Peak is Mahendragiri.
- ARAVALLI RANGE – Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana. Highest peak is Mt. Abu / Guru Sikhar. Dilwara temple situated in Mt. Abu / Guru Sikhar. Oldest fold mountains in India.
- PIR PANJAL RANGE – Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir. Highest peak is Mount Indrasan.
- Ginar Range – Gujrat
- Malwa Plateau – Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
- Bhander Plateau – Madhya Pradesh
- Baghelkhand Plateau – Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh.
- Bundelkhand Plateau – Uttar Pradesh, Madhay Pradesh
- Nilgiri Hills – Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka. Highest peak is Doddabetta.
- Caradamom Hills – Kerala, Tamil Nadu
- Annamaloi – Tamil Nadu. Highest peak is Anaimudi (2695m).
- Maikal Hills – Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh. Highest peak is Amarkantak.
- Kaimur – Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar. (Vindhya Rangr)
- Patkai – Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Myanmar border.
Passes in India
- Jammu & Kashmir Mountain Passes –
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- Banihal Pass
- Pir – Panjal pass
- Burzil Pass.
- Banihal Pass lies across the Pir Panjal Range.
- Pir Panjal pass also called as Pir ki Gali. Pir Panjal Range named after it.
- Burzil pass is the oldest known route connecting Gilgit & Sri Nagar.
- Ladaakh Passss –
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- Zoji La Pass
- Khardunga La
- Mintaka Pass
- Parpik Pass
- Khunjerab pass
- Aghill Pass
- Qara Tag La
- Lanak La
- Pensi La
- Chang La
- Imis La
- Zozi la pass is situated in Zanskar Range. It connects Sri Nagar with Kargil and Leh. It is a of NH 1.
- Pensi La pass is known as the Gateway to Zanskar.
- Khardung La pass is in Ladakh range. It is gateway to Shyok and Nubra valley. Used to carry supplies to Siachen Glacier. Worlds 2nd highest motorable pass in Ladakh.
- Umling La Pass is the world’s highest motorable pass in Ladakh. (19, 300 feet). Constructed by BRO under project Himank.
- Mintaka pass means thousands goat. It is situated near trijunction of India, China and Afghanistan.
- Lanak La pass located in disputed Aksai-Chin area.
- Himachal Pradesh Passes –
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- Rohtang Pass
- Bara Lacha La Pass
- Shipki La Pass
- Debsa Pass
- Shipki La pass located on Indo-China border. Passes through Jhelum Gorge. Link between Himachal Pradesh and Tibet region.
- Rohtang Pass (Atal Tunnel) is in Pir Panjal Range. Link between Kullu, Lahul & Spiti valleys of Himachal Pradesh.
- Bara Lacha La pass is in Zanskar range. Connects Himachal Pradesh with Ladakh. Situated along Leh-Mandi Hughway.
- Uttarakhand Passes –
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- Lipu Lekh pass
- Niti Pass
- Mana Pass
- Muling La Pass
- Traill’s Pass
- Mangsha Dhura Pass
- Lipu Lekh pass situated near trijunction of India, Tibet and Nepal borders. Pilgrims use this pass to reach Kailash -Manasarowar.
- Mana Pass connects Uttarakhand with Tibet.
- Niti Pass connects Uttarakhand with Tibet region.
- Muling La pass situated in the north of Gangotri.
- North Eastern States – (Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh)
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- Jelep La Pass (Sikkim)
- Nathu La Pass (Sikkim)
- Bom Di La (Arunachal Pradesh)
- Yonggyap Pass (Arunachal Pradesh)
- Dihang Pass (Arunachal Pradesh)
- Dipher Pass (Arunachal Pradesh)
- Kumjawang Pass (Arunachal Pradesh)
- Chankan Pass (Arunachal Pradesh)
- Lekhapani Pass (Arunachal Pradesh)
- Hpungan Pass (Arunachal Pradesh)
- Jelep La Pass lies at Sikkim, gives way to Bhutan. Route that connects Lhasa to India. Tista river has created this pass.
- Nathu La pass situated on India China border. It is a important auxiliary route making up the ancient silk route. Nathu La connects Sikkim with Tibet region. This pass was closed after Indo-China war in 1962 but was reopened in 2006.
- Bom Di La pass connects Arunachal Pradesh with Lhasa (Tibet).
- Yonggyap pass lies on Indo-China border and joins Arunachal Pradesh with Tibet region.
- Diphu Pass lies on the trijunction of India, China and Myanmar. Lies on Macmohan line.
- Rajasthan Passes –
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- Goram Ghat Pass
- Haldighati Pass
- Goram Ghat located in the Aravali Range. Connects Mewar and Marwar. Connects Udaipur with Sirohi and Jalore.
- Haldighat Pass located in Aravali range. Connects Rajsamand and Pali. Famous battle of Haldighati took place (1576) between kingdom of Mewar (army led by Maharana Pratap) and Mughal emperor Akbar’s genera; Man Singh I of Amer. Turmeric coloured yellow soil of this area.
- Madhya Pradesh –
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- Asirgarh Pass
- Asirgarh Pass located in Satpura range. Popularily known as Dakkani Darwaza or Doorway to the Deccan / Key to the Deccan. Connects North India with Deccan plateau. Connects the Narmada and Tapti valleys.
- Maharashtra (Western Ghats) –
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- Thal Ghat Pass
- Bhor Ghat Pass
- Thal Ghat pass situated in the northern Shyadri. Links Nasik to Mumbai.
- Bhor Ghat pass situated in the northern Shyadri. Links Mumbai to Pune.
- Kerala (Western Ghats) –
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- Pal Ghat pass
- Senkota Pass
- Pal Ghat pass is also called as Palakkad Gap. Between Nilgiri and Annamalai hills. Connects (kochi) kerala to Chennai (Tamil Nadu).
- Senkota Pass is in between the Nagercoil and the cardamom hills. Links Thiruvanathpuram (Kerala) and Madurai (Tamil Nadu).
♦ Aryans enter India through Khyber pass.
♦ From Yangyao pass the Brahmaputra River enter India.
♦ Sutlej river enters India through Shipkila pass.
♦ Banihal pass connect Kashmir with the rest of India.
Important GK –
- Greater Himalaya Range is the oldest parallel range of Himalayas.
- Shivalik hills are part of Himalayas range.
- Mountains cover 29% of Indian land.
- Sindhu river flows through Jaskar mountain and Ladakh mountain
- Kumaon hills is in Uttarakhand.
- Aravalli is the oldest mountain range of India. (Avg. age is 570 million years)
- Anaimudi is the highest peak of South India (Kerala). Also known as Everest of South India.
- Satpura hills are located between Narmada and Tapti river.
- Nilgiri hills are located in the border of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
- On Nilgiri hills, the eastern ghats meet the western ghat.
- Nilgiri hills are majorly located on the Tamil Nadu state.
- Nilgiri hills of India are known as Blue Mountains.
- Ajanta mountain ranges are only located in one state (Maharashtra).
- Mahadev hills are part of Satpura hills.
- Junko Tabei was the first woman to climb Mount Everest.
- Santosh Yadav was the Indian woman to climb mount Everest twice.
- Guru Shikhar Peak is located in Rajasthan state. Highest peak of Aravalli Range.
- K2 is the highest peak of India (8611 m) (if POK included). Located in the Karakoram range. And it is the second highest mountain on Earth. Also known as Godwin Austin.
- Kangchenjunga (Sikkim) is highest peak of India (if POK not included)(8,586 m).
- Karakoram is the highest mountain range of Trans-Himalaya.
- In Telangana state Ananthagiri hills are located.
- Narmada river flows between Vindhyan and Satpura range.
- Nanda Devi peak is the highest peak of Uttarakhand.
- Stamala Hills is in Maharashtra
- Ajanta Hills is in Maharashtra.
- Harishchandra range is in Maharashtra.
- Balaghat Range is in Maharashtra.
- Kudremukh is in Karnataka.
- Baba Budan Hills is in Karnataka.
- Saddle Peak is located in Andaman & Nicobar.
- Mishmi Hills are located in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Dafla Hills is in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Abor hills is in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Miri hills is in Arunachal Pradesh
- Naga Hills is in Nagaland. Mount Saramati is the highest peak.
- Mahendragiri Peak is located in Odisha.
- Rajpipla hills is the highest peak of Satpura range.
- Garo Khasi Jaintia hills are located in Meghalaya.
- Lushai hills or Mizo hills is located in Mizoram. Phawngupi (blue mountain) is the highest peak.
- Barali range is in Assam, Nagaland
- Kami Rita Sherpa of Nepal made record by conquering Mount Everest for the 26th time.
- Andes mountain range is the longest mountain range in the world (South America).
- Rockey mountain range is located in North America.
- Mount Denali located in North America.
- Atlas ranges located in Africa. Mount Toubqal is the highest peak is in Morocco.
- Caucasus mountain range is located in Europe. Between Black Sea and Caspian Sea.
- Alps range is located in Europe. Mount Blanc is the highest peak of the Alps.
- Pyreness mountains forms the border between Spain and France.
- Hindukush mountain is situated between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
- Arakan Yoma mountain is lies between India and Myanmar.
- Ural mountains separates Europe and Asia.
- Jura mountains located between France and Switzerland.
- Great dividing ranges located in Australia.
- Black forest mountain located in Germany.
- Sulaiman mountain located in Pakistan.
- Namcha Barwa is the eastern peak of the Himalays. (Arunachal Pradesh)
- Mikir hill is located in Assam.
- Highest peak of Asia is Mount Everest. (Called Sagarmatha in Nepal)
- Highest peak of Europe is Mount Elbrus.
- Highest peak of Africa is Kilimanjaro (Tanzania)
- Highest peak of North America is Denali (also called mount Mckinley).
- Highest peak of South America is mount Aconcagua.
- Highest peak of Australia is mount Kosciuszko
- Highest peak of Antarctica is Vinson Massif.
