Pragnya IAS · Atlas study notes
Mountain ranges in India for UPSC
Compare Himalayan, Trans-Himalayan, northeastern and peninsular ranges, passes and drainage divides.
Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan contrasts
Distinguish the outer Shivalik foothills, Lesser Himalayan ranges such as Pir Panjal and the Great Himalayan axis from the Trans-Himalayan Zanskar and Ladakh systems. Karakoram Pass is a pass reference, not a polygon of the entire Karakoram. Territorial depictions follow the credited source, not a legal determination.
Central and southern India
The Narmada valley lies broadly between Vindhya to the north and Satpura to the south. Compare Aravalli’s southwest–northeast trend with the Western Ghats escarpment. Palghat Gap separates Nilgiri and Anaimalai systems; Palani and Cardamom hills add southern peninsular context.
Northeastern and Eastern Ghats hill systems
Read Garo, Khasi and Jaintia broadly west to east in Meghalaya. Compare Patkai, Naga and Mizo hills in the Purvanchal setting. Nallamala, Shevaroy and Javadi illustrate the discontinuous Eastern Ghats. Named reference points supplement the available generalized mountain polygons; they do not invent missing geometry.
Are every mountain range and its full extent mapped?
No. Licensed generalized polygons cover only features available in the source. Additional cited range references are approximate points, clearly distinguished from full mapped extents.
Reference reading ↗Locations and explained references
Nanda Devi
Peak · Uttarakhand
A major Himalayan peak in the Garhwal region.
- Elevation: 7,816 m.
- The surrounding protected landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Kangchenjunga
Peak · Sikkim / Nepal border
A high Himalayan peak on the India–Nepal border.
- Elevation: 8,586 m.
- Located in the eastern Himalayas.
Nathu La
Pass · Sikkim
A Himalayan pass linking Sikkim with the Tibetan plateau.
- Situated in the eastern Himalayas.
- Distinguish it from Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh.
Palghat Gap
Mountain gap · Kerala / Tamil Nadu
A major lowland opening through the Western Ghats.
- Separates the Nilgiri and Anaimalai hill systems.
- An important east–west transport corridor.
Anamudi
Peak · Kerala
The highest peak in peninsular India.
- Elevation: 2,695 m.
- Located in the Western Ghats.
Aravalli Range — Mount Abu
Range reference point · Rajasthan
Mount Abu is a reference point in the ancient Aravalli hill system.
- The range extends broadly southwest–northeast.
- Guru Shikhar is the highest summit of the Aravallis.
Zoji La
Pass · Ladakh / Jammu and Kashmir
Connects the Kashmir Valley with the Ladakh region.
- Compare it with the routes through the Pir Panjal.
- Approximate educational reference point; not a surveyed site boundary.
Rohtang Pass
Pass · Himachal Pradesh
A pass between the Kullu Valley and Lahaul.
- Located in the Pir Panjal range.
- Approximate educational reference point; not a surveyed site boundary.
Shipki La
Pass reference · Himachal Pradesh
A border pass in the Sutlej valley region.
- The Sutlej enters India through this Himalayan region.
- Approximate educational reference point; not a surveyed site boundary.
Lipulekh
Pass reference · Uttarakhand
A high Himalayan pass in the Kumaon region.
- Border claims in the surrounding region are disputed.
- Approximate educational reference point; not a surveyed site boundary.
Doddabetta
Peak · Tamil Nadu
The highest summit in the Nilgiri hills.
- The Nilgiris lie at the meeting of the Eastern and Western Ghats.
- Approximate educational reference point; not a surveyed site boundary.
Guru Shikhar
Peak · Rajasthan
The highest peak in the Aravalli range.
- Located near Mount Abu.
- Approximate educational reference point; not a surveyed site boundary.
Dhupgarh
Peak · Madhya Pradesh
The highest summit of the Satpura range.
- Located near Pachmarhi.
- Approximate educational reference point; not a surveyed site boundary.
Gulf of Kachchh
Gulf reference · Gujarat
An inlet of the Arabian Sea along Gujarat.
- Distinguish it from the Gulf of Khambhat farther southeast.
- Approximate educational reference point; not a surveyed site boundary.
Gulf of Khambhat
Gulf reference · Gujarat
An Arabian Sea gulf receiving several west-flowing rivers.
- Narmada and Tapi drain towards this gulf.
- Approximate educational reference point; not a surveyed site boundary.
Pir Panjal Range
Range / hill reference · Himachal Pradesh / Jammu and Kashmir
An important Lesser Himalayan range south of the main Great Himalayan axis.
- Rohtang is a useful pass association; compare the Kashmir Valley with the outer foothills.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Zanskar Range
Range / hill reference · Ladakh
A Trans-Himalayan mountain system associated with the Zanskar region.
- Compare Zanskar, Ladakh and the Great Himalaya without treating a reference point as a range boundary.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Ladakh Range
Range / hill reference · Ladakh
A Trans-Himalayan range north of the Indus valley near Leh.
- Relate the Indus corridor to high-altitude aridity and the ranges on either side.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Karakoram Pass
Range / hill reference · Ladakh border region
A high pass in the Karakoram region along an old trade route.
- Distinguish the pass from the complete Karakoram range; adjoining territorial claims are disputed.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Shivalik Hills — Dehradun reference
Range / hill reference · Uttarakhand
The outer Himalayan foothill belt, formed from comparatively young sediments.
- Duns are longitudinal valleys between the Lesser Himalaya and Shivaliks.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Nilgiri Hills
Range / hill reference · Tamil Nadu / Kerala / Karnataka
A southern hill system near the junction of the Eastern and Western Ghats.
- Doddabetta is its highest summit; compare Nilgiri, Anaimalai and Palani hills.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Anaimalai Hills
Range / hill reference · Kerala / Tamil Nadu
A southern Western Ghats hill system south of the Palghat Gap.
- Anamudi belongs to the Anaimalai landscape; the Palghat Gap separates it from the Nilgiris.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Palani Hills
Range / hill reference · Tamil Nadu
A hill system projecting eastward from the southern Western Ghats near Kodaikanal.
- Distinguish this Tamil Nadu upland from the coastal plain and the Nilgiris farther north.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Cardamom Hills
Range / hill reference · Kerala / Tamil Nadu
A southern Western Ghats upland associated with plantation agriculture.
- Relief, moisture and elevation help explain spice cultivation.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Nallamala Hills
Range / hill reference · Andhra Pradesh / Telangana
A north–south hill system forming part of the Eastern Ghats.
- The Krishna cuts through the landscape near Srisailam.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Shevaroy Hills
Range / hill reference · Tamil Nadu
An Eastern Ghats upland near Salem and Yercaud.
- The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous; major east-flowing rivers cross their relief.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Javadi Hills
Range / hill reference · Tamil Nadu
A northeastern Tamil Nadu hill system of the Eastern Ghats.
- Compare the interrupted Eastern Ghats with the more continuous western escarpment.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Garo Hills
Range / hill reference · Meghalaya
The western part of the Meghalaya hill system.
- Read Garo, Khasi and Jaintia broadly from west to east.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Khasi Hills
Range / hill reference · Meghalaya
The central Meghalaya hills overlooking moist airflow from the south.
- Sohra and Mawsynram illustrate strong orographic rainfall on the southern slopes.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Jaintia Hills
Range / hill reference · Meghalaya
The eastern part of the Meghalaya hill system.
- The Meghalaya plateau is distinct from the folded Himalayan mountain belt.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Patkai Hills
Range / hill reference · Arunachal Pradesh / Nagaland border region
A hill system along the India–Myanmar border region in the northeast.
- Compare Patkai, Naga, Manipur and Mizo hills within the Purvanchal setting.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Naga Hills
Range / hill reference · Nagaland
A northeastern hill system within the Purvanchal region.
- Study the hill–valley pattern alongside the Assam plains to the west.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Mizo Hills
Range / hill reference · Mizoram
A folded hill landscape in the southern northeastern region.
- Also called the Lushai Hills; distinguish hill trends from administrative borders.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Rajmahal Hills
Range / hill reference · Jharkhand
A northeastern peninsular upland near the bend of the Ganga.
- Relate the Rajmahal uplands to the eastern edge of the Chotanagpur region.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Maikal Hills
Range / hill reference · Madhya Pradesh / Chhattisgarh
An eastern extension of the central Indian highlands around the Amarkantak region.
- Compare nearby Narmada and Son headwater geography.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Vindhya Range — Rewa reference
Range / hill reference · Madhya Pradesh
A central Indian relief system broadly north of the Narmada valley.
- Distinguish Vindhya from Satpura, which lies broadly south of the Narmada.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.
Satpura Range — Pachmarhi reference
Range / hill reference · Madhya Pradesh
A central Indian hill system south of the Narmada valley.
- Dhupgarh near Pachmarhi is the highest summit of the Satpura range.
- Approximate educational reference point, not a surveyed boundary or homogeneous regional classification.