3.

The Peninsular India

 Special features of Peninsular
India
• Hills and Ranges: Ranges like the Vindhya Range, Satpura Range,
and Aravalli Range.
• Plateaus: the plateau itself is divided into several smaller plateaus,
such as the Deccan Plateau and the Malwa Plateau.
• River Systems: major rivers that flow through the plateau, such as
the Narmada, Tapi, Godavari, and Krishna.
• Relief Features:
Tablelands: vast flat expanses of the Deccan Plateau.
• Gorges and Canyons: Impressive gorges and canyons formed by
rivers cutting through the plateau, like the Bhima Gorge and
Gandikota Canyon.
• Waterfalls: famous waterfalls, such as Jog Falls and Dudhsagar
Falls
Aravalli mountain range

Satpura Range
Deccan trap

Meghalaya plateau
 Narmada River

Godavari river
 Yog waterfall
Dudhsagar Waterfall
 Western Ghat

Eastern ghat
Relief contrast of Peninsular
India
The Peninsular Plateau
• Plateaus of the Peninsular India:
i)The Marwar Upland
ii) The Central Highland
iii) The Bundelkhand
Upland
iv) The Malwa Plateau
v) The Rewa Plateau
vi) The Baghelkhand
vii) The Chotonagpur
Plateau
viii) The Meghalaya
Plateau
ix) The Deccan plateau
x) The Chhattisgarh Plain
 Hill ranges of Peninsular Plateau:

• i) The Aravalli Range

i)The Vindhyan Range
ii)The Satpura Range
iii) The Western Ghats
iv) The Eastern Ghats
The Marwar Upland
• Eastern portion of Aravalli
range, Eastern Rajasthan
upland
• Avg elevation- 250-500 mtr.,
slope towards east.
• formation- sandstone, shale,
limestone of Vindhyan
formation
• Drained by Banas and its
tributaries, Chambal,kali, Sind
etc.
• Chambal river has cut deep
and wide valleys and has
formed ravines and badlands.
The Central Highland
• Known as Madhya Bharat Pathar
• Situated East of Marwar Upland
• Most of this highland comprises
on the basin of Chambal river
which flows in a rift valley.
• Sind and Parvati are the major
tributaries.
• It is a rolling plateau made up of
older Vindhyan sediments which
is interspersed with rounded hills
composed of sandstone.
• In the Northern portion ravine
and badland topography created
by erosive work of Chambal
river.
Bundelkhand Upland
Between Madhya Bharat Pathar and Vindhiyan
Scarpland , to the south of Yamuna river , there is a
old dissected upland comprising of granite and
gneiss, is known as Bundelkhand Upland, it is a part
of ‘Bundelkhand Gneiss’
The total area is about 54560 sq km spread over five district
of UP, four districts of MP.
Avg elevation-300-600 mtr, slopes down towards Yamuna
river.
Mass of rounded hummocky hills made of granite and
sandstone. Almost the whole region is covered by
individual mesa and buttes.
The Bundelkhand upland merges imperceptively with great
plain, then the landscape changes. Buttes of granite
and sandstone, long narrow serrated ridges of quartz
reefs and trap dykes diversify the topography.
In the north west and north east of Bundelkhand region is
surrounded by alluvium deposits of Ganga and Yamuna
and south west by Deccan Trap.
The erosional work of river flowing here converted the
area into undulating terrain and unfit for cultivation.
The region is a perfect example of Senile topography.
Imp. Rivers- Betwa, Dhasan, Ken has curved out steep
gorges, rocky banks and waterfalls.
Malwa Plateau
• It is a triangular shaped plateau based on
Vindhyan hills, bounded by Aravalli range in the
west and Bundelkhand in the east.
• This plateau have very complex geology having
almost every group of rock formation from
peninsular India
• Have two drainage systems: towards Arabian
Sea(Narmada,Tapi, Mahi) and others towards Bay
of Bengal(Chambal and Betwa joining Yamuna).
• Length -530 km, width-390 km, total area
1,50,000 sq.km. general height decreases from
600 mt in the south to less than 500 mt in the
north.
• Drained by Chambal, Kali, Sindh, Parbati, Ken,
Betwa.
• It is a large physiographic feature composed of
mostly extensive lava flow and is covered with
black soils.
• There are rolling surface and flat topped hills
dissected by rivers flowing through the area.
• Chambal ravines are important features in
northern part of the plateau.
Rewa Plateau
• Situated in the eastern
portion of Vindya hills. also
known as Rewa- Panna
Plateau.
• consists of sandstones of
Vindhyan group and created
various steep scarps.
• the plateau bounded by a
great escarpment , Kaimur
hills, in the north similar
scarps separate from
adjacent lowlands.
• stream flowing over the
northern scarps forms rapids
and waterfalls
The Baghelkhand
• Situated in the East of Maikal range, north
by Son river, and to its south there is
anticlinal highland and synclinal valley of
sandstones and limestone.
• It covers 1.4 lakh sq.km. General elevation
is 150 to 1200 mtr and has uneven relief.
• Baghelkhand plateau is made of limestone
and sandstone.
• the main elements of physiography of this
plateau are scarps of Vindhyan sandstones
between Ganga plain and Narmada -Son
trough. The Bhanrer and Kaimur are located
close to the trough axis.
• The central part of the plateau is act like a
water divide between son drainage system in
the north and Mahanadi drainage system in
the south.
• The general horizontal strata of this
region shows that it is comparatively less
disturbed area as far as the geological
events are concerned.
The Chotonagpur Plateau
Situated in the East of Baghelkhand , covers
an area of 87 thousand sq km covering
mostly in Jharkhand, northen part of
Chhattisgarh and Puruliya district of
West Bengal.avg elevation is 700 mtr
from the sea level.
Son river flows in the north west boundary of
the plateau and joins Ganga. This
plateau is composed mainly by
Gondowana rocks with the patches of
Archaean granite and gneisses and
Deccan Lavas.
Chhotonagpur plateau is composed of a
series of plateau having different
elevation. the highest general elevation
is 1100 mtr in the mid western portion
known as Pat Lands (high level
lateritic plateau). From this region the
lands descends in all directions in a
series of steps which are marked by
waterfalls across the rivers.
Generally, radial drainage pattern is
developed here due the
geomorphological structure.
Extensive basins of the Damodar, the
Subarnarekha, the North Koel, the South
Koel are developed here. Damodar river
flows through the middle of this region.
The bulk of Gondowana coal deposits are
found here.
 Sub division of Chhotonagpur Plateau
• North of the Damodar river there is Hazaribagh Plateau with
an avg. elevation of 600 mtr. this plateau is an isolated hills,
highest peak is Parasnath (1366 mtr). the area is made of
granite and gneiss and the hills have quartz rocks. large scale
erosional activity convert this area as peneplain.
• Ranchi Plateau is located to the south of Damodar valley,
rises to about 600 mtr. The maximum height is found in the
western part to an altitude of 1100mtr, where pats and mesas
capped with laterites steeply rises. The Netarhat pat and Goru
rise to 1119 and 1142 mtr respectively. Most of the surface is
rolling with an interruption of Monadnoks and conical hills.
• Rajmahal Hills formed the north eastern edge of
Chhotonagpur plateau, made of basalt and covered by lava
flows. the hills runs north south direction and rise to an
elevation of 400 mtr (highest peak-567 mtr). The hills have
been dissected into several plateaus.
The Meghalaya Plateau
The extension of the peninsular region have
crossed Rajmahal hills to further in the north
East and formed a rectangular block known
as Meghalaya or Shillong plateau.
It is separated from the main block of peninsular
plateau by a widegap known as Garo-
Rajmahal gap. This gap is formed by down
faulting and later filled by the sediments
deposited by the Ganga.
It is formed by Archaean (Dharwar)
quartzittes, shales and schists with granite
intrusions and some basic silts.
Covering an area of 35,000 sq. km this plateau
slopes down to Brahmaputra valley in the
north and Surma and Meghna valley in the
south, its western boundary coincide with
Bangladesh boarder.
The western part- Grao hills (900 mtr); central
part- Khasi-Jayantiya hills (1500 mtr) and
eastern part- Mikir Hills (700 mtr). Shillong is the
highest point of this plateau (1961 mtr).
 The North-Eastern Plateau

• The Meghalaya (or Shillong) plateau is separated from peninsular

rock base by the Garo-Rajmahal gap.
• Shillong (1,961 m) is the highest point of the plateau.
• The region has the Garo, Khasi, Jaintia and Mikir (Rengma) hills.
• An extension of the Meghalaya plateau is also seen in the Karbi
Anglong hills of Assam.
• The Meghalaya plateau is also rich in mineral resources like coal,
iron ore, sillimanite, limestone and uranium.
• This area receives maximum rainfall from the south-west monsoon.
As a result, the Meghalaya plateau has a highly eroded surface.
Cherrapunji displays a bare rocky surface devoid of any permanent
vegetation cover.
The Deccan Plateau

• The largest unit of Peninsular Plateau

covering an area of 5 lakh sq. km.
• Triangular shaped this plateau is
bounded by Satpura and the Vindhya in
the north-west, Mahadev, Maikal in the
north, Western ghat in the west and
Eastern ghat in the east.
• Avg elevation 600 mtr. rises to 1000
mtr. in the south and decreases to 500
mtr in the north. general slope is from
west to east indicating the major flows
of the rivers like the Mahanadi, the
Godavari, the Krishna and the Cauvery.
these sub divided the plateau into
smaller ones:
i) Maharastra Plateau: Forms northern part of the deccan plateau, underlain by
basalt rocks of lava origin, the area looks like a rolling plain due to
weathering. Horizontal lava sheets led the area a typical look of Deccan
Trap . broad and shallow valleys of the Godavari, the Bhima and the
Krishna are flanked by flat topped steep sided hills and ridges, the entire
area is covered by regur- black cotton soil.
ii) The Karnataka Plateau: also known as Mysore Plateau, situated in the south
of the Maharastra plateau. this region is drained by Krishna, and its
tributaries: Ghatprava and Malprava. regional slope is to the east and the
northern portion have northward slope.
• made up primarily of Archaean formation,avg elevation 600-900 mtr,
highly dissected by numerous rivers of western ghats. Tungbhadra and
Couvery river originated from here. highest peak mulangiri(1913 mtr) in
Bababudan hill.
• the plateau is divided into two category: Maidan (rolling plain with low
granite hill)and Malnad (hilly area dissected into deep valley covered with
dense forest avg width of 35 km and elevation of 1000 mtr). the plateau
merge with Niligiri hills in the south.
iii) Telengana Plateau: consists of Archaean gneiss at an avg elevation of 500-600
mtr. slope towards south to north.
Drained by three major river systems : Godavari, Krishna an Penneru.
plateau is divided into ghats and peneplains.
Chattisgarh (thirty six fort of haithaivanshi rajputs)
• The Chhattisgarh plain: the
only plain area of peninsular
plateau.
• saucer shaped depression
drained by Mahanadi river.
• the basin lies between
Maikal Range and Orissa
hills.
• horizontal beds of shales
and limestone during
Cuddapah period.
• general elevation from 250
mtr in the east to 330 mtr in
the west.
• Hill ranges of Peninsular
Plateau:
i) The Aravalli Range
ii) The Vindhyan Range
iii) The Satpura Range
iv) The Western Ghats
v) The Eastern Ghats

Most of the hills in the peninsular

region are of the relict type
(residual hills). They are the
remnants of the hills and horsts
formed many million years ago
(horst: uplifted block; graben:
subsided block).
The plateaus of the Peninsular
region are separated from one
another by these hill ranges and
various river valleys.
 The Aravalli Range
• Running from north east to south west direction for 800 km
between Delhi and Palanpur in Gujrat.
• Oldest range of near Archaean era.
• Although now north eastern end is marked by Delhi ridge, it is
supposed to continue upto Haridwar buried under the alluvium of
great plains.
• General elevation 400-600 mtr., part of this range rises over 1000
mtr.
• From Delhi to Ajmer it is discontinuous and detached ridges
having lower elevation, from south of Ajmer it become continous
and also altitude increases upto 900 mtr.
• highest peak Gurushikhar (1722 mtr) in Mnt. Abu.
• Barr, Pipli ghat , Dewair an Desuri passes allows movement by
roadways and railways.
• According to Prof. S.P.Chatterjee Aravali occupies the site of an
ancient geosyncline and was uplifted and folded in
synclinorium for the first time in Algonkian age,600-700
million years ago.
• The present Aravali has lost its range character in many parts
and is now a relic of what it was in the past when it formed
India’s main watershed, extending from Kumaon Himalaya to
the furthest end of the Peninsular Plateau on the south, and
perhaps one of its arms reaching eastwards across central India.
In that remote age several of its summit rose above the snow
line. this range was later reduced by long continuous erosion
almost to sea level. Evidence suggest that in late Mesozoic
times, perhaps about 100 million years ago, the peneplained
Aravalli was uplifted for the second time by at least 1200 mtr
near Udaipur, and 200 mtrs at its two ends near Delhi and
Ahmedabad.
The Vindhyan Range
• it rises as an escarpment flanking the northern
edge of the Narmada-Son trough overlooking
the Narmada valley.
• it runs more or less parallel to the Narmada
valley in an east-west direction from Jobat in
Gujrat to Sasaram in Bihar for a distance of
over 1200 km. general elevation is 300-650
mt. and it rarely goes above 700 mtr. northen
slope is gentle. western part of this range is
covered by lava.
• most part of Vindhyan range are composed of
horizontally bedded sedimentary rocks of
ancient age.
• Vindhyan range are continued eastwards as the
Bharner and Kaimur hills.
• the Vindhya-Kaimur scarp act as a watershed
between The Ganga river system and the river
systems of south India and forms the northern
boundary of the Deccan.
The Satpura Range
• ‘sat’ means seven and ‘pura’ means mountain
in sanskrit.
• it is a series of seven mountains. it runs in an
east west direction to the south of Vindhyas
and in between narmada and the Tapi. from
Rajpipla hills in the west through Mahadev hill
to Maikal range in the East, it stretches for a
distance of about 900 km. It widens
considerably in the central part.
• there are evidences of tectonic disturbances,
fold, upheavels, structural uplift resulting
‘Hoarst’.
• it is the highest east west direction mountain of
Peninsular India.
• highest peak Dhupgarh (1350 mtr)near
Panchmari on Mahadev Hills, other imp. peaks
are Astamba Dongar (1325 mt), Amarkantak
(1127 mtr)
• Satpura range is a series of seven mountains (‘Sat’ = seven and ‘pura’ = mountains).
• The seven mountain ranges or folds of Satpura’s are:
– Maikal Hills
– Mahadeo Hills near Pachmarhi
– Kalibhit
– Asirgarh
– Bijagarh
– Barwani
– Arwani which extends to Rajpipla Hills in Eastern Gujarat.
• Satpura ranges run parallel between Narmada and Tapi, parallel to Maharashtra-MP
border.
• Dhupgarh (1,350 m) near Pachmarhi on Mahadev Hills is the highest peak of the
Satpura Range.
• Amarkantak (1,127 m) is another important peak. Amarkantak is the highest peak
of the Maikal Hills from where two prominent rivers – the Narmada and the Son
originate.
• Note that three rivers originate from the three sides of Maikal hills but, from
Amarkantak, only two rivers (the Narmada and the Son) originate.
Western Ghats or Sahyadris
• north-south direction, parallel and close
to the Arabian Sea coast, from Tapi valley
to a little north of Kanyakumari for a
distance 1600 km.
• Western Ghat are down to Malabar, steep-
sided, terraced, flat-topped hills or cliffs
presenting the mesa-like stepped
topography facing the Arabian Sea coast.
• horizontally bedded lavas change into
‘landing stair aspect’ to the relief of this
mountain chain due to weathering.
• In the south of Malabar, the Nilgiris,
Anamalai present quite different
landscape due to difference in geological
structure.
• The western Ghat has steep slope towards
the western coastal plain ,but their eastern
side gently lies to the Deccan table land.
• the northen section of the ghat from (21 degree N to 16
degree N)Tapi valley to north of Goa, the area is made of
horizontal sheets of deccan lavas forming a strong wall over
west coastal plain.
• average heightis 1200 mtr. some important peaks Kalasubai
(1646 mtr), Salher (1567 mtr), Mahabaleswar (1438 mtr),
Harishchandragarh (1424 mtr). Thalghat and Bhorghat are imp
passes which connect Konkan plains in the west to Deccan
plateau in the East. This area is characterised by numerous
faults.
• The middle Sahyadri runs from 16 degree N upto Nilgiri
hills. this area is made of granites and gneisses and presents
rough topography. this area is covered with dense forests.
• the western scarp is considerably dissected by headward
erosion of the west flowing streams.
• avg height is 1200 mtr but many peaks exceed 1500 mtr. Vavul
mala (2339 mtr), Kudremukh (1892 mtr) and Pashpagiri
(1714) are some imp peaks. Western ghat and Eastern ghat
merge in Nilgiri hills. Dodabeta (2637 mtr), Makurti (2554
mtr) are important peaks here.
• The southern part of Western Ghat is separated from the main
Sahyadri rangeby Palghat gap, it represent the sudden break in
the continuity of this mountain range.
• this 24-30 km wide gap has an elevation of 75-300 mtr ,
bordering hills rise to 1500-2000 mtr. it is a rift valley used for
connecting the plains of Tamilnadu with the coastal plains of
Kerala.
• in south of Palghat gap, both side of Western Ghat have steep
and rugged slopes.
• Anaimudi (2695 mtr) is the highest peak here, it is the nodal
point from where three ranges ( Anaimalai to the north, Palni
to the north-east and Cardamom hill to the south) radiates in
different directions.
 The Eastern Ghat
• Almost parallel to the east coastal plain in north south
direction. It is a chain of of highly broken and detached hills
starting from Mahanadi in Orissa to the Vagai in Tamilnadu.
Structurally, Eastern Ghat have no structural unity nor
physiographic continuity. Between Godabari and Krishna
Eastern ghat almost disappeared.
• the eastern part of Satpura is known as Maikala plateau.
Depending upon relief and structure , Eastern ghat can be
divided into northern and southern parts. southern part of
Godabari demarcate this boundary.
• In northtern part between Mahanadi and Godabari, Eastern
ghat is characterised by truly mountain, width-200 km in
north, 100 km in south. Here Maliya and Madugula Konda
are important raanges. Mahendragiri highest peak (1501 mtr)
• Between Godabari and krishna river, in southern part Eastern
ghat loses its hilly character. it reappear as hill ranges in
Cuddapah and Kurnool district.
• here Nallamalai range (600-850 mtr) is most prominent.
southern part of this range is Palkonda range.. to the south
altitude decreases, only Javadi hills and Shevroy-Kalrayan
hills have altitude of 1000 mtr. the Biligiri rangan hills in
Coimbatore attain a height of 1279 mtr. the hills have steep
slope and bold relief because they are made of charnockites. in
further south it merges with western ghat.
• a fairly wide belt of hilly country lies at the foot of the Eastern
Ghats in Chennai. it is a best example of peneplain in India.
• The Western Ghats are continuous and can be crossed through
passes only. There are four main passes which have developed
in the Western Ghats. These are:
• Thal Ghat – It links Nasik to Mumbai.
• Bhor Ghat – It links Mumbai to Pune.
• Pal Ghat – This pass is located between the Nilgiris and the
Annamalai mountains. It is in Kerala and connects Kochi and
Chennai.
• Senkota Pass – This pass located between the Nagercoil and
the Cardamom hills links Thiruvananthapuram and Madurai.