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English · हिन्दी · తెలుగు · தமிழ் · മലയാളം · मराठी · ಕನ್ನಡ

The Peninsular Plateau and the Ghats

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿವರಣೆ

Physiography of India · Part 3 / 4 · Fact-checked on · how we check

Written with AI from the sources listed at the bottom of this page, then fact-checked by a separate AI.

The Peninsular Plateau as an ancient, stable block of Gondwana with its west-to-east tilt; the Central Highlands north of the Narmada (Aravalli, Malwa, Vindhya, Satpura, Bundelkhand, Baghelkhand and Chota Nagpur) and the Narmada and Tapi rift valleys; the Deccan plateau and its lava Traps; the Meghalaya plateau and Karbi Anglong; the Western and Eastern Ghats with their hills, peaks and passes; and the two Ghats compared.

Each idea is explained first in Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ), ending with the English and Hindi exam terms, followed by the same point in exam English. UPSC Prelims is in English or Hindi, so understand it in Kannada and revise it in English.

ಹಿಮಾಲಯ, ಮೈದಾನ ನೋಡಿದ ಮೇಲೆ ಈಗ ದೇಶದ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಹಳೆಯ ನೆಲ, ದಕ್ಷಿಣದ ತ್ರಿಕೋನದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಪರ್ಯಾಯದ್ವೀಪದ ಪ್ರಸ್ಥಭೂಮಿ. ಇದು ದೇಶದ ಗಟ್ಟಿ ಅಡಿಪಾಯ; ಬಹುಭಾಗ 600-900 ಮೀಟರ್ ಎತ್ತರ, ಸುತ್ತಲೂ ಬೆಟ್ಟಸಾಲುಗಳು, ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಮತ್ತು ಪೂರ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಘಟ್ಟಗಳು. ಹಿಮಾಲಯ ಈಗ ಕಟ್ಟುತ್ತಿರುವ ಹೊಸ ಮನೆಯಾದರೆ, ಪ್ರಸ್ಥಭೂಮಿ ಕೋಟ್ಯಂತರ ವರ್ಷ ಸವೆದ ಹಳೆಯ ಕಲ್ಲಿನ ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಲು; ಅದಕ್ಕೇ ಬೆಟ್ಟಗಳು ದುಂಡಗೆ, ಕಣಿವೆಗಳು ಅಗಲ, ನದಿಗಳು ನಿಧಾನ. ಅದು ಯಾವ ಕಡೆ ವಾಲಿದೆ ಎಂದು ತಿಳಿದರೆ ನದಿಗಳು, ಖನಿಜಗಳು, ಎರಡು ಘಟ್ಟಗಳ ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸ ಅರ್ಥವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. (→ English: plateau · हिन्दी: पठार)

In exam EnglishAfter the young Himalaya (Part 1) and the even younger plains (Part 2), this part turns to the oldest land in India, the Peninsular Plateau that fills the triangle south of the plains. It is the solid core of the country: most of the plateau lies between about 600 and 900 m, it is ringed by hill ranges, and its western and eastern edges are marked by the Western and Eastern Ghats. Where the Himalaya are being built today, the plateau has been worn down for hundreds of millions of years, so its hills are rounded, its valleys broad and its rivers slow and mature. Knowing how this block formed and how it is tilted explains why most peninsular rivers flow east, why the Narmada and the Tapi do not, where India's coal and iron lie, and why the two Ghats look and behave so differently.

ಈ ಪ್ರಸ್ಥಭೂಮಿ ಗೊಂಡ್ವಾನಾ ಎಂಬ ಹಳೆಯ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಭೂಭಾಗದ ತುಂಡು; ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಆಫ್ರಿಕಾ, ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾ ಮುಂತಾದವುಗಳಿಗೆ ಜೋಡಿಸಿತ್ತು. ಅದರ ಅಡಿಪಾಯ ಗ್ರಾನೈಟ್, ನೈಸ್‌ನಂಥ ಬಹಳ ಹಳೆಯ ಅಗ್ನಿಶಿಲೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ರೂಪಾಂತರ ಶಿಲೆಗಳು. ಇದು ಮಡಿಕೆಯಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ; ಗಟ್ಟಿ ಹಲಗೆಯಂತೆ ಬಿರುಕು ಬಿಟ್ಟಿತು. ಹಳೆಯ ಸಿಮೆಂಟ್ ನೆಲ ಮಡಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ, ಬಿರುಕು ಮಾತ್ರ ಬರುತ್ತದಲ್ಲ, ಹಾಗೆ. ಬಿರುಕುಗಳ ನಡುವಿನ ತುಂಡು ಮೇಲೆದ್ದರೆ ಖಂಡ ಪರ್ವತ, ಕೆಳಗಿಳಿದರೆ ಬಿರುಕು ಕಣಿವೆ. ಇಳಿದ ಹಳ್ಳಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸಸ್ಯದ ಅವಶೇಷ ಕಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಲಾಯಿತು; ದಾಮೋದರ್ ಕಣಿವೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಝರಿಯಾ, ರಾಣಿಗಂಜ್. (→ English: igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks, block mountain, rift valley · हिन्दी: आग्नेय शैल, कायांतरित शैल, भ्रंशोत्थ पर्वत, भ्रंश घाटी)

In exam EnglishGeologically the plateau is a fragment of Gondwana, the ancient southern supercontinent in which India sat alongside Africa, Antarctica, Australia and South America. Its foundation is made of very old crystalline igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks such as granite and gneiss, some of them among the oldest rocks on Earth. Unlike the Himalaya, this block has not been squeezed into folds for a very long time; instead it has behaved as a rigid shield that cracked along faults. Where blocks rose between faults they formed block mountains, and where blocks sank they formed troughs and rift valleys. Some of these sunken troughs trapped thick layers of plant debris that turned into coal; the Ministry of Coal notes that these Gondwana basins hold the bulk of India's coal, Jharia and Raniganj in the Damodar valley being examples.

ಈ ಪ್ರಸ್ಥಭೂಮಿ ಸಮತಟ್ಟಾಗಿಲ್ಲ; ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಭಾಗ ಎತ್ತರ, ಪೂರ್ವಕ್ಕೆ ವಾಲಿದೆ. ತಟ್ಟೆಯನ್ನು ಒಂದು ಕಡೆ ಎತ್ತಿ ನೀರು ಸುರಿದರೆ ಕೆಳಗೆ ಹರಿಯುವಂತೆ, ಮಹಾನದಿ, ಗೋದಾವರಿ, ಕೃಷ್ಣಾ, ಕಾವೇರಿ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿ ಪೂರ್ವದ ಬಂಗಾಳ ಕೊಲ್ಲಿ ಸೇರಿ ಮುಖಜಭೂಮಿ ಕಟ್ಟುತ್ತವೆ. ನರ್ಮದಾ, ತಾಪಿ ಮಾತ್ರ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮಕ್ಕೆ ಅರಬ್ಬೀ ಸಮುದ್ರಕ್ಕೆ; ಅವು ಬಿರುಕುಗಳಿಂದಾದ ಕಣಿವೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹರಿಯುತ್ತವೆ. ಉತ್ತರದಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಲ ಗಂಗೆಯ ಕಡೆ ವಾಲುತ್ತದೆ; ಚಂಬಲ್, ಬೇತ್ವಾ, ಕೆನ್, ಸೋನ್ ಉತ್ತರಕ್ಕೆ ಹರಿಯುತ್ತವೆ. (→ English: plateau tilt · हिन्दी: पठार का झुकाव)

In exam EnglishThe block is not level; it is tilted. Its western edge, along the Western Ghats, stands high, and the surface slopes gently down towards the Bay of Bengal. That tilt decides the drainage: the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri all rise near the west and cross the whole plateau to empty into the Bay of Bengal, building deltas on the east coast. The Narmada and the Tapi are the striking exceptions: they flow west into the Arabian Sea, not because they defy the slope but because they run along rift valleys, troughs formed by faulting, and they end in estuaries rather than deltas. In the north the plateau slopes towards the Ganga plain, so rivers such as the Chambal, Betwa, Ken and Son flow northward to join the Yamuna or the Ganga. The plateau's edges are traced by hills: the Aravalli in the north-west, the Rajmahal hills in the north-east and the Cardamom hills in the far south.

ನರ್ಮದೆಯ ಉತ್ತರದ ಭಾಗ ಮಧ್ಯ ಉನ್ನತ ಭೂಮಿ. ವಾಯುವ್ಯ ಅಂಚಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಅರಾವಳಿ, ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಹಳೆಯ ಮಡಿಕೆ ಬೆಟ್ಟಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು; ಈಗ ಸವೆದು ಗುಜರಾತಿನಿಂದ ದೆಹಲಿಯತ್ತ ತುಂಡುತುಂಡಾದ ಸಾಲು; ಅತಿ ಎತ್ತರದ ಸ್ಥಳ ಮೌಂಟ್ ಅಬುವಿನ ಗುರು ಶಿಖರ್. ಪಕ್ಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾಳ್ವಾ ಪ್ರಸ್ಥಭೂಮಿ, ಚಂಬಲ್ ಆಳವಾದ ಕೊರಕಲು ಕೊರೆದಿದೆ. ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಅಂಚಿನಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಂಧ್ಯ, ನರ್ಮದಾ ಕಣಿವೆಯತ್ತ ಕಡಿದಾದ ಅಂಚು, ಗೋಡೆಯಂತೆ ನಿಂತ ಮರಳುಗಲ್ಲು. ಪೂರ್ವಕ್ಕೆ ಬುಂದೇಲ್‌ಖಂಡ್, ಬಘೇಲ್‌ಖಂಡ್. (→ English: escarpment · हिन्दी: कगार)

In exam EnglishNorth of the Narmada, the plateau is known as the Central Highlands. Along its north-western margin lie the Aravalli, one of the world's most ancient fold ranges, eroded today into broken ridges that stretch from Gujarat up towards Delhi; their highest point is Guru Shikhar (1,722 m) on Mount Abu. East of the Aravalli lies the Malwa plateau of western Madhya Pradesh, much of it covered by the same lava flows as the Deccan and drained northward by the Chambal and its tributaries, which have cut deep ravines along their banks. The southern edge of the Central Highlands is the Vindhya range, a steep escarpment of sandstone that overlooks the Narmada valley and continues eastward as the Kaimur hills. Further east lie Bundelkhand, an upland of old granite and gneiss on the Uttar Pradesh-Madhya Pradesh border, and Baghelkhand beyond it.

ವಿಂಧ್ಯ, ಸಾತ್ಪುರಾ ನಡುವೆ ನರ್ಮದಾ ಹರಿಯುತ್ತದೆ; ಇದು ಬಿರುಕು ಕಣಿವೆಗೆ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಉದಾಹರಣೆ. ಅಮರಕಂಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮಕ್ಕೆ ಖಂಭಾತ್ ಕೊಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅದರ ದಕ್ಷಿಣಕ್ಕೆ ಸಾತ್ಪುರಾ, ಬಿರುಕುಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ಮೇಲೆದ್ದ ಖಂಡ ಪರ್ವತ; ಅತಿ ಎತ್ತರದ ಸ್ಥಳ ಪಚ್ಮಢಿ ಬಳಿಯ ಧೂಪ್‌ಗಢ್. ಅದರ ದಕ್ಷಿಣಕ್ಕೆ ತಾಪಿ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಸಮಾನಾಂತರ ಕಣಿವೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮಕ್ಕೆ ಸೂರತ್ ಬಳಿ ಸಮುದ್ರ ಸೇರುತ್ತದೆ. ಎರಡು ಮೇಜುಗಳ ನಡುವಿನ ಸಂದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರು ನೇರ ಹರಿಯುವಂತೆ. ಕ್ರಮ: ಉತ್ತರದಿಂದ ವಿಂಧ್ಯ, ನರ್ಮದಾ, ಸಾತ್ಪುರಾ, ತಾಪಿ. (→ English: rift valley, block mountain · हिन्दी: भ्रंश घाटी, भ्रंशोत्थ पर्वत)

In exam EnglishBetween the Vindhya and the next range south runs the Narmada, one of the clearest examples of a rift valley in India. It rises at Amarkantak in the Maikal hills and flows west through a long trough between faults to the Gulf of Khambhat. South of it stand the Satpura, a range usually described as a block mountain raised between faults, which continues eastward as the Mahadeo hills and the Maikal range; its highest point, Dhupgarh, lies near Pachmarhi. South of the Satpura the Tapi flows west through a second, parallel rift valley and reaches the sea near Surat. The pairing is worth fixing in memory: Vindhya, Narmada, Satpura, Tapi, from north to south. These faulted troughs are also why the two westward rivers carry little sediment to the coast and form estuaries instead of deltas.

ಮಧ್ಯ ಉನ್ನತ ಭೂಮಿಯ ಪೂರ್ವ ತುದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಛೋಟಾ ನಾಗ್ಪುರ ಪ್ರಸ್ಥಭೂಮಿ; ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಜಾರ್ಖಂಡ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ, ಒಡಿಶಾ, ಛತ್ತೀಸ್‌ಗಢ, ಬಂಗಾಳಕ್ಕೂ ಹರಡಿದೆ. ರಾಂಚಿ, ಹಜಾರಿಬಾಗ್‌ನಂಥ ಸಣ್ಣ ಪ್ರಸ್ಥಭೂಮಿಗಳು ಸೇರಿದ್ದು; ಈಶಾನ್ಯ ಅಂಚಿನಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜ್‌ಮಹಲ್ ಬೆಟ್ಟಗಳು. ಇದರ ಬೆಲೆ ಖನಿಜಗಳು; ಹಳೆಯ ಬಂಡೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಬ್ಬಿಣದ ಅದಿರು, ದಾಮೋದರ್ ಕಣಿವೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಝರಿಯಾ, ರಾಣಿಗಂಜ್ ಕಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಲು. ಕಚ್ಚಾ ವಸ್ತು ಇರುವಲ್ಲೇ ಕಾರ್ಖಾನೆ ಕಟ್ಟುವಂತೆ, ಖನಿಜ ಇರುವಲ್ಲೇ ಉಕ್ಕಿನ ಕಾರ್ಖಾನೆಗಳು ಬೆಳೆದವು. (→ English: plateau · हिन्दी: पठार)

In exam EnglishAt the eastern end of the Central Highlands lies the Chota Nagpur plateau, centred on Jharkhand and spilling into Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. It is made up of several smaller plateaus, such as those around Ranchi and Hazaribagh, separated by rivers, and its north-eastern edge is marked by the Rajmahal hills. Its importance is economic: the ancient rocks of this region hold one of the richest mineral belts in the country, including iron ore, and the Damodar, which flows east through a faulted trough, runs past the coalfields of Jharia and Raniganj. That is why steel plants and heavy industry grew up in and around this plateau, a link that returns in the chapters on mineral resources and industry. The table below lists the main units of the Central Highlands.
Main units of the Central Highlands (north of the Narmada)
UnitWhereKey point
AravalliGujarat to near DelhiVery old, worn-down fold mountains; Guru Shikhar (1,722 m) on Mount Abu
Malwa plateauWestern Madhya PradeshLargely lava-covered; drained north by the Chambal; ravines
VindhyaNorth of the NarmadaSandstone escarpment; continues east as the Kaimur hills
Bundelkhand and BaghelkhandUP-MP border and east of itOld granite and gneiss uplands
Chota Nagpur plateauJharkhand and neighbouring statesMineral belt; Damodar trough with Jharia and Raniganj coal; Rajmahal hills at its edge

ನರ್ಮದಾ, ಸಾತ್ಪುರಾದ ದಕ್ಷಿಣಕ್ಕೆ ಡೆಕ್ಕನ್ ಪ್ರಸ್ಥಭೂಮಿ, ಒಂದು ಅಗಲವಾದ ತ್ರಿಕೋನ; ಉತ್ತರಕ್ಕೆ ಸಾತ್ಪುರಾ, ಪಶ್ಚಿಮಕ್ಕೆ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಘಟ್ಟ, ಪೂರ್ವಕ್ಕೆ ಪೂರ್ವ ಘಟ್ಟ. ಅದರ ವಾಯುವ್ಯ ಭಾಗ ಡೆಕ್ಕನ್ ಟ್ರ್ಯಾಪ್; ಸುಮಾರು 6.6 ಕೋಟಿ ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆ ನೆಲದ ಬಿರುಕುಗಳಿಂದ ಲಾವಾ ಪದರ ಪದರವಾಗಿ ಹರಿದು ತಣ್ಣಗಾಯಿತು. ಮನೆಯ ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಲಿನಂತೆ ಪದರಗಳು ಕಾಣುತ್ತವೆ; 'ಟ್ರ್ಯಾಪ್' ಎಂದರೆ ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಲು. ಈ ಬಂಡೆ ಸವೆದು ಕಪ್ಪು ಮಣ್ಣು, ಹತ್ತಿಗೆ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದು. ಮಹಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ಪ್ರಸ್ಥಭೂಮಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಇದರ ಮೇಲೆ; ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಲೆನಾಡು, ಬಯಲುಸೀಮೆ; ತೆಲಂಗಾಣ ಹಳೆಯ ಗ್ರಾನೈಟ್. (→ English: Deccan Traps, lava · हिन्दी: दक्कन ट्रैप, लावा)

In exam EnglishSouth of the Narmada and the Satpura lies the Deccan plateau, a broad triangle bounded by the Satpura and its eastern hills in the north, the Western Ghats in the west and the Eastern Ghats in the east. Its north-western part is built of the Deccan Traps, layer upon layer of basalt lava that poured out of long fissures about 66 million years ago, close to the time the dinosaurs died out, according to the US Geological Survey. The flows cooled into flat sheets that weather into a step-like landscape (the word 'trap' comes from the Swedish for stair), and the basalt breaks down into the black soil on which cotton grows well. The Maharashtra plateau lies mostly on these lavas; the Karnataka plateau further south is divided into the hilly, forested Malnad in the west and the rolling Maidan in the east; and the Telangana plateau is formed of old granite and gneiss.

ಪರ್ಯಾಯದ್ವೀಪದ ಒಂದು ತುಂಡು ದೂರದ ಈಶಾನ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಮೇಘಾಲಯ (ಶಿಲ್ಲಾಂಗ್) ಪ್ರಸ್ಥಭೂಮಿ, ಅಸ್ಸಾಂನ ಕಾರ್ಬಿ ಆಂಗ್ಲಾಂಗ್ ಬೆಟ್ಟಗಳು ಅದೇ ಹಳೆಯ ಬಂಡೆಯವು; ಆದರೆ ರಾಜ್‌ಮಹಲ್, ಗಾರೋ ಬೆಟ್ಟಗಳ ನಡುವಿನ ಅಂತರ (ಮಾಲ್ಡಾ ಅಂತರ) ಅವನ್ನು ಬೇರ್ಪಡಿಸಿದೆ, ನಂತರ ಗಂಗಾ, ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಪುತ್ರದ ಮಣ್ಣು ಅದನ್ನು ತುಂಬಿತು. ಒಂದೇ ಸೀರೆಯಿಂದ ಕತ್ತರಿಸಿದ ತುಂಡು ದೂರ ಬಿದ್ದರೂ ಅದೇ ಬಟ್ಟೆಯಂತೆ. ಪಶ್ಚಿಮದಿಂದ ಗಾರೋ, ಖಾಸಿ, ಜೈಂತಿಯಾ ಬೆಟ್ಟಗಳು. ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಮುಖ ಮಾನ್ಸೂನ್ ಗಾಳಿಯನ್ನು ನೇರ ಎದುರಿಸುವುದರಿಂದ ಮೌಸಿನ್‌ರಾಮ್, ಚಿರಾಪುಂಜಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾರೀ ಮಳೆ. (→ English: Meghalaya plateau · हिन्दी: मेघालय पठार)

In exam EnglishPart of the Peninsula lies far to the north-east, cut off from the main block. The Meghalaya or Shillong plateau and the Karbi Anglong hills of Assam are made of the same ancient rocks as the Peninsula, but a gap between the Rajmahal hills and the Garo hills, sometimes called the Garo-Rajmahal or Malda gap, separates them; that gap was later filled with sediment by the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. From west to east the plateau is divided into the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills, named after the communities that live there. Its southern face rises steeply above the plains of Bangladesh and catches the monsoon winds head on, so places such as Mawsynram and Cherrapunji (Sohra) receive some of the heaviest rainfall on Earth. Remembering that Meghalaya belongs geologically to the Peninsula, not to the Himalaya, is a favourite exam point.

ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಘಟ್ಟ (ಮಹಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಹ್ಯಾದ್ರಿ) ತಾಪಿ ಕಣಿವೆಯಿಂದ ಕನ್ಯಾಕುಮಾರಿ ಹತ್ತಿರದವರೆಗೆ ಸುಮಾರು 1,600 ಕಿ.ಮೀ. ಇದು ಪ್ರಸ್ಥಭೂಮಿಯ ಎತ್ತರಿಸಿದ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಅಂಚು; ಕರಾವಳಿಯಿಂದ ನೋಡಿದರೆ ಗೋಡೆಯಂತೆ ಕಡಿದಾದ ಅಂಚು, ಡೆಕ್ಕನ್ ಕಡೆಯಿಂದ ನಿಧಾನ ಏರು. ಕರಾವಳಿಯಿಂದ ಘಾಟಿ ಹತ್ತುವಾಗ ಕಡಿದು, ಮೇಲೆ ಬಯಲು ಸಿಗುವಂತೆ. ನಡುವೆ ಕೆಲವು ಕಣಿವೆ ದಾರಿಗಳು: ಥಾಲ್ ಘಾಟ್, ಭೋರ್ ಘಾಟ್ (ಮುಂಬೈನಿಂದ ನಾಸಿಕ್, ಪುಣೆ), ಪಾಲ್ಘಾಟ್. ದಕ್ಷಿಣಕ್ಕೆ ಎತ್ತರ ಹೆಚ್ಚುತ್ತದೆ; ಆನೈಮುಡಿ (2,695 ಮೀ.) ಪರ್ಯಾಯದ್ವೀಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಅತಿ ಎತ್ತರ, ದೊಡ್ಡಬೆಟ್ಟ ನೀಲಗಿರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ. ಗೋದಾವರಿ, ಕೃಷ್ಣಾ, ಕಾವೇರಿ ಇಲ್ಲೇ ಹುಟ್ಟುತ್ತವೆ. (→ English: escarpment · हिन्दी: कगार)

In exam EnglishThe Western Ghats, called the Sahyadri in Maharashtra, run for about 1,600 km from the Tapi valley in the north to near Kanyakumari in the south. They are the raised western edge of the plateau and face the Arabian Sea as a steep escarpment; seen from the coast they look like a wall, but from the Deccan side they rise only gently. The chain is almost continuous, broken by a few passes: the Thal ghat and the Bhor ghat carry roads and railways from Mumbai to Nashik and Pune, and the Palghat (Palakkad) gap in Kerala links the Kerala coast with Coimbatore. Heights increase towards the south, where the Nilgiris, the Anaimalai, the Palani and the Cardamom hills cluster; Anamudi (2,695 m), in the Anaimalai hills of Kerala, is the highest point of peninsular India; the Nilgiris rise to 2,637 m at Doddabetta. The Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri all rise in these hills.

ಪೂರ್ವ ಘಟ್ಟ ಬೇರೆ ರೀತಿಯದು. ಒಡಿಶಾದ ಮಹಾನದಿ ಕಣಿವೆಯಿಂದ ಆಂಧ್ರದ ಮೂಲಕ ತಮಿಳುನಾಡಿನವರೆಗೆ, ಆದರೆ ಒಂದೇ ಗೋಡೆಯಾಗಿ ಅಲ್ಲ; ಮಹಾನದಿ, ಗೋದಾವರಿ, ಕೃಷ್ಣಾ, ಕಾವೇರಿ ಅದನ್ನು ಕತ್ತರಿಸಿ ಅಗಲವಾದ ಅಂತರ ಮಾಡಿವೆ. ಹಲ್ಲು ಮುರಿದ ಬಾಚಣಿಗೆಯಂತೆ ತುಂಡುತುಂಡು. ಇವು ಕಡಿಮೆ ಎತ್ತರ, ದುಂಡಗಿನ ಶಿಖರಗಳು. ಒಡಿಶಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಹೇಂದ್ರಗಿರಿ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ; ಉತ್ತರ ಆಂಧ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಅರ್ಮಕೊಂಡದಂಥವು ಇನ್ನೂ ಎತ್ತರ. ದಕ್ಷಿಣಕ್ಕೆ ನಲ್ಲಮಲ, ತಮಿಳುನಾಡಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಜವಾದಿ, ಶೆವರಾಯ್ (ಏರ್ಕಾಡ್). ಕೊನೆಗೆ ನೀಲಗಿರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಘಟ್ಟವನ್ನು ಸೇರುತ್ತವೆ. (→ English: Eastern Ghats · हिन्दी: पूर्वी घाट)

In exam EnglishThe Eastern Ghats are a very different range. They run from the Mahanadi valley in Odisha south-west through Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu, but not as a single wall: the big east-flowing rivers, the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, have cut wide gaps through them, leaving a broken line of separate hill groups. They are also lower and older-looking, with rounded summits. In Odisha, Mahendragiri is a well-known high peak, while the Survey of India's maps show some summits in northern Andhra Pradesh, such as Arma Konda, rising higher. Further south lie the Nallamala hills of Andhra Pradesh and, in Tamil Nadu, the Javadi and the Shevaroy hills (with the hill station of Yercaud). At their southern end the Eastern Ghats meet the Western Ghats in the Nilgiris, which therefore form the knot that ties the two ranges together.

ಎರಡು ಘಟ್ಟಗಳನ್ನು ಹೋಲಿಸಿದರೆ ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ಸೇರಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತದೆ. ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಘಟ್ಟ ಎತ್ತರ, ಸತತ; ಮಾನ್ಸೂನ್ ಗಾಳಿಗೆ ಅಡ್ಡವಾಗಿ ನಿಂತು ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಇಳಿಜಾರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾರೀ ಪರ್ವತ ಮಳೆ, ದಟ್ಟ ಕಾಡು; ಹಿಂದಿನ ಪ್ರಸ್ಥಭೂಮಿ ಮಳೆನೆರಳಿನ ಪ್ರದೇಶ. ಕೊಡೆಯ ಮುಂಭಾಗ ಒದ್ದೆಯಾಗಿ ಹಿಂಭಾಗ ಒಣಗಿರುವಂತೆ. ಬೇರೆಲ್ಲೂ ಇಲ್ಲದ ಜೀವಿಗಳಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ಶ್ರೀಲಂಕಾದ ಜೊತೆ ಜೀವವೈವಿಧ್ಯ ತಾಣ; 2012ರಲ್ಲಿ ಯುನೆಸ್ಕೋ ಪರಂಪರೆ ತಾಣ. ಪೂರ್ವ ಘಟ್ಟ ತುಂಡು, ಕಡಿಮೆ ಎತ್ತರ, ಒಣ. ಮುಂದಿನ ಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಕರಾವಳಿ, ದ್ವೀಪಗಳು. (→ English: orographic rainfall, rain-shadow area, biodiversity hotspot · हिन्दी: पर्वतीय वर्षा, वृष्टि छाया क्षेत्र, जैव विविधता हॉटस्पॉट)

In exam EnglishComparing the two Ghats ties the part together. The Western Ghats are continuous, higher and steep on the seaward side; they stand across the path of the south-west monsoon, so their western slopes receive heavy orographic rainfall and dense evergreen forest, while the plateau behind lies in a rain-shadow area. Their short west-flowing streams rush down to the Arabian Sea, and the big rivers that rise on their eastern side flow away across the Deccan. Their wet forests are so rich in species found nowhere else that the range is part of a biodiversity hotspot shared with Sri Lanka, and in 2012 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Eastern Ghats are broken, lower and drier, and are crossed rather than fed by the great rivers. Seen as a whole, the plateau's tilt, its faulted troughs and its two raised rims explain its rivers, its minerals and its rainfall; Part 4 follows those rivers down to the coastal plains and out to the islands.
Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats compared
FeatureWestern GhatsEastern Ghats
ContinuityAlmost continuous; broken by a few passes (Thal, Bhor, Palghat)Broken into separate hill groups by big rivers
HeightHigher; rise towards the southLower, rounded summits
Highest pointAnamudi (2,695 m), highest in peninsular IndiaPeaks of northern Andhra Pradesh and Odisha (Arma Konda, Mahendragiri)
RiversSource of the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri; short swift west-flowing streamsCut through by the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri
RainfallHeavy orographic rain on the western slopesMuch drier
BiodiversityHotspot with Sri Lanka; UNESCO World Heritage Site (2012)Less rich and less studied

Exam traps

Recap

Practice questions

Q1. Which of the following is the highest peak in peninsular India?

  1. Doddabetta
  2. Guru Shikhar
  3. Anamudi
  4. Mahendragiri
Show answer

Answer: C. Anamudi

Anamudi (2,695 m), in Kerala's Anaimalai hills, tops the list. Doddabetta (2,637 m) is the highest in the Nilgiris but lower than Anamudi; Guru Shikhar (1,722 m) tops the Aravalli; Mahendragiri is a peak of the much lower Eastern Ghats.

Q2. Consider the following statements:
1. The Narmada flows between the Vindhya and the Satpura ranges.
2. The Tapi flows into the Bay of Bengal after crossing the Deccan.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the Tapi flows west through a rift valley south of the Satpura and reaches the Arabian Sea near Surat. So '2 only' and 'Both' are wrong, and 'Neither' rejects a true statement.

Q3. Why do the Narmada and the Tapi form estuaries instead of deltas?

  1. They are fed only by glaciers
  2. They flow through faulted rift valleys and carry little sediment to the coast
  3. They flow over the Deccan Traps and dissolve the basalt
  4. They enter the Bay of Bengal where tides are absent
Show answer

Answer: B. They flow through faulted rift valleys and carry little sediment to the coast

Both rivers run through rift valleys and bring little sediment to the coast, so they end in estuaries. They are peninsular, rain-fed rivers, not glacier-fed; basalt is not dissolved away by rivers; and they enter the Arabian Sea, not the Bay of Bengal.

Q4. Match the following:
A. Thal ghat
B. Palghat gap
C. Guru Shikhar
D. Dhupgarh
1. Highest point of the Satpura
2. Links the Kerala coast with Coimbatore
3. Highest point of the Aravalli
4. Links Mumbai with Nashik
Select the correct code:

  1. A-4, B-2, C-3, D-1
  2. A-2, B-4, C-3, D-1
  3. A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3
  4. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
Show answer

Answer: A. A-4, B-2, C-3, D-1

Thal ghat links Mumbai and Nashik (4), the Palghat gap links Kerala with Coimbatore (2), Guru Shikhar tops the Aravalli (3) and Dhupgarh tops the Satpura (1). The second option swaps the two passes, the third swaps the two peaks, and the fourth matches none of the passes correctly.

Q5. Consider the following statements about the Meghalaya plateau:
1. Geologically it is a part of the Peninsular block.
2. It is separated from the Chota Nagpur region by a gap filled with sediment of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: C. Both 1 and 2

Both are correct: the Meghalaya plateau is made of the same ancient rocks as the Peninsula and is cut off from it by the Garo-Rajmahal (Malda) gap, later filled by Ganga-Brahmaputra sediment. '1 only' and '2 only' each leave out a true statement, and 'Neither' rejects both.

Q6. The Deccan Traps are best described as:

  1. folded sedimentary rocks raised from the Tethys
  2. layers of basalt lava that erupted through fissures about 66 million years ago
  3. glacial deposits left on the plateau during an ice age
  4. coal-bearing Gondwana sandstones of the Damodar valley
Show answer

Answer: B. layers of basalt lava that erupted through fissures about 66 million years ago

The Traps are step-like layers of basalt lava from fissure eruptions about 66 million years ago. Folded Tethys sediments describe the Himalaya, not the Deccan; the Traps are volcanic, not glacial; and the Damodar's coal lies in Gondwana basins, which are a different rock group.

Q7. Consider the following statements:
1. The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous because large east-flowing rivers cut through them.
2. The Eastern and Western Ghats meet in the Nilgiris.
3. The Eastern Ghats receive heavier rainfall on the whole than the Western Ghats.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 and 2 only

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: the Western Ghats face the south-west monsoon and get heavy orographic rain, while the Eastern Ghats are much drier. Every other option includes statement 3, so it is wrong.

Q8. Which of the following rivers flows NORTHWARD off the Peninsular Plateau to join the Ganga system?

  1. Mahanadi
  2. Godavari
  3. Tapi
  4. Son
Show answer

Answer: D. Son

The Son flows north off the plateau to join the Ganga. The Mahanadi and the Godavari flow east to the Bay of Bengal, and the Tapi flows west to the Arabian Sea.

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Sources