10 Major Mountain Ranges In India

India is a geographically rich country with some of the biggest and highest mountain ranges in the world. India has 10 major mountain ranges.

In this post, we are going to discuss the 10 major Mountain ranges in India.

1. Himalayan Range

The Himalayan range is the biggest mountain range in India. It spreads across five countries Bhutan, India, China, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Himalaya is home to some world’s highest peaks and it has a length of approximately 2,400 kilometres. Nanga Parbat is considered the western point while Namcha Barwa is the eastern point of the Himalayas.

The mountain range is the source of some of the biggest rivers like the Ganges, Indus, and Bramhaputra. Mount Everest is the world’s highest peak present in the Himalayas mountain range in Nepal.

The Himalayas mountain range plays a very significant role in regulating the climate of the Indian subcontinent, preventing cold air from entering India during winter. [Reference]

2. Western Ghats

The Western Ghats is one of the major mountain ranges in India spreading across six states Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. It is also popularly known as Sahyadri Mountains.

It is 1600 kilometres long and covers an area of 160,000 square kilometres. Anamudi is the highest peak of the Western ghats present in Ernakulam district and Idukki district of Kerala state.

The Western ghats is a UNESCO world heritage site and it is one of 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world. The mountain range is the source of some of the important rivers in India like Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri.

3. Eastern Ghats

The Eastern ghats is a split mountain range covering the eastern and southern parts of India including states like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

It is 1131 kilometres in length and stretches across 75,000 square kilometres of area. This mountain range is older than the Western ghats and many pilgrim sites and rivers are present in the area.

Kattahi Betta is the highest peak of the Eastern Ghats with a height of 1822 metres. The mountain range is made up of charnockites, granite gneiss, chondrites, metamorphic gneisses, and quartzite rock formation.

4. Aravalli Range

Aravalli Range is one of the major mountain ranges present in the western and Northern parts of India. It spreads across four states Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

The mountain range is approximately 670 kilometres in length and Guru Shikhar of Sirohi district, Rajasthan is its highest peak reaching up to 1722 meters. 

The Aravallis plays an important role in Rajasthan’s climate as it stops monsoons from reaching the Thar Desert. Many tourist locations including the famous Mount Abu located in this range.

5. Satpura Range

The Satpura is a mountain range located in the central part of India covering four states Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh.

Duphgarh is the highest peak of the Satpura range with a height of 1350 meters. Major rivers like Tapti, Mahanadi, and Narmada originated from the central part of the Satpura.

Most part of Satpura is heavily forested and many famous tourist locations like Amarkantak, and Kanha National park. The Pench national park, and, many more are preset in the nearest area.

6. Purvanchal Range

The Purvanchal range is more of a sub-mountain range of the Himalayas. The mountain range is spread across states like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, and Mizoram.

It covers a total area of 94,800 square kilometres. Mount Dapha with a height of 4,578 meters is the highest peak of this mountain range.

Major rivers like Lohit, Burhi Dihang, Diyung, Kusiyara, Gumti, Kaladan, and several others originated from the Purvanchal range.

7. Karakoram Range

The Karakoram is a major mountain range spreading across three countries India, Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. It is also a part of the Himalayas.

K2 is the highest peak of this mountain range with a height of 8,611 metres, which is the world’s 2nd tallest peak. The major region like Gilgit−Baltistan, Ladakh, Xinjiang, and Badakhshan hosts most of the Karakoram Range.

This mountain range is home to several big glaciers including the famous Siachen Glacier. It is one of the most geographically active ranges with great diversity.

8. Vindhya Range

 The Vindhya Range is a major discontinued mountain range spanning across various states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

It is also known as Vindhyachala and Sad-bhawna Shikhar is its highest peak with a height of 752 metres.

Various tribute rivers of the Ganga-Yamuna system like  Chambal, Betwa, Dhasan, Ken, Tamsa, Kali Sindh and Parbati originated from the Vindhya range.

9. Nilgiri Range

The Nilgiri Range is a sub-mountain range of the Western Ghats running in three states Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. This mountain range connects the Westen Ghats with the Eastern Ghats.

Doddabetta with a height of 2,637 metres is the highest peak of this mountain range. It is geographically one of the major mountain ranges in India.

The Moyar River separated the Nilgiri Hills from the Karnataka Plateau. This mountain range is home to many glorious waterfalls in India and hosts many tourist spots.

10. Zanskar Range

Zanskar Range is a mountain range situated in the Kargil district, the Indian union territory of Ladakh. This mountain range separates the Zanskar valley from the Indus valley.

This mountain range is geographically and strategically very important for India as this separates Ladakh from the Kashmir Valley and it reaches up to Baltistan (Occupied by Pakistan).

Kamet Peak is the highest peak of the mountain range with a height of 7,756 metres. People living in the Zanskar range region speak the Zanskari language which is exclusive to the area. [Reference]

List of 10 Major Mountain Ranges in India