The Himalayan Ranges

Contents
The Himalayan Ranges............................................................................................................................................................... 1
Classification of The Himalayan Ranges ......................................................................................................................... 2
The Three Parallel Rangs .................................................................................................................................................. 2
The Trans Himalayas ............................................................................................................................................................... 3
Ranges in The Trans Himalayas ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Major Passes in the Trans Himalayas ........................................................................................................................... 4
The Greater Himalaya ............................................................................................................................................................ 4
Passes in the Greater Himalayas ................................................................................................................................... 6
The Lesser Himalayas or The Middle Himalayas or The Himachal ....................................................................... 6
Important Ranges in the Lesser Himalayas ............................................................................................................... 7
Shiwalik Range (Shiwaliks) ................................................................................................................................................... 9
The Shiwaliks are known by different names ........................................................................................................ 10
Duns ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Purvanchal or Eastern Hills................................................................................................................................................ 11
Regional Hills of The Purvanchal................................................................................................................................ 12
Summary .................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
• Most of the Himalayan Ranges fall in India, Nepal, and Bhutan, with parts of the northern slopes
extending into Tibet (Trans-Himalayas) and the western extremity reaching Pakistan, Afghanistan,
and Central Asia.

Classification of The Himalayan Ranges

• The Himalayan Ranges can be broadly classified into:

1. The Trans-Himalayas or Tibetan Himalayas
2. The Greater Himalayas or The Himadri
3. The Lesser Himalayas or The Middle Himalayas or The Himachal
4. The Shiwaliks or The Outer Himalayas
5. The Eastern Hills or Purvanchal — A chain of hills in North-East India

The Three Parallel Rangs

• Between Tibet and the Ganga Plain, the Himalayas form three parallel ranges — Greater Himalayas,
Lesser Himalayas and Shivaliks. These ranges form an arc and cover a distance of about 2400 km.
The width varies from 400 km in Kashmir to 150 km in Arunachal Pradesh.

General Orientation
• All three ranges curve convexly to the south.
• The attitudinal variations are greater in the eastern half than in the western half.
Parts of Himalayas Orientation
North-western part of India Northwest to Southeast direction
Darjeeling and Sikkim regions East-West direction
Arunachal Pradesh Southwest to the Northeast
Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram North-South direction

Slope
• The folds in these ranges are asymmetrical, with valleys being a part of synclines, and the hills are
part of anticlines or anti-synclines. This creates a topography with steep south slopes and gentle
north slopes, giving hogback (a long, steep hill or mountain ridge) topography.

 Scaling Mount Everest is less challenging from the northern side. However, China imposes
restrictions, so climbers often choose the steeper southern slopes from Nepal.

Syntaxial Bends
• The Himalayas stretch in an east-west direction from the Indus Gorge in the west to the
Brahmaputra Gorge in the east. At these gorges, the Himalayan ranges sharply bend southward.
These bends are referred to as the syntaxial bends of the Himalayas.
• The western syntaxial bend is situated near Nanga Parbat, the western tip of the Zanskar Range
(where the Indus River has carved a deep gorge). The eastern syntaxial bend is located near
Namche Barwa.

The Trans Himalayas

• The Trans-Himalayas are the mountain ranges situated immediately north of the Great
Himalayan range. This range is predominantly located in Tibet and is commonly called the Tibetan
Himalayas.
• The average elevation is around 3000 meters above mean sea level, and it spans approximately
1,000 km in the east-west direction, occurring only in the western part of the Himalayas (Ladakh,
J&K and Himachal Pradesh). The average width is about 40 km at its extremities and widens to
around 225 km in the central part.

Ranges in The Trans Himalayas

• The Trans-Himalayas have several main ranges, including the Karakoram, Ladakh, Zanskar, and Kailas.

Karakoram Range
• The Karakoram Range, also known as Krishnagiri, is the northernmost Trans-Himalayan range in
India. It extends 800 km eastwards from the Pamirs of Pakistan.
• It has lofty peaks, including K2 (8611 m), also known as Godwin Austen or Qogir, the second
highest globally and the highest in the Indian Union.
• The Ladakh Plateau lies northeast of the Karakoram Range, divided into various plains and
mountains, such as Soda Plains, Aksai Chin, Lingzi Tang, Depsang Plains, and Chang Chenmo.

Ladakh Range
• It is situated south of the Karakoram Range. Only a few peaks of this range exceed a height of 6000
meters. It is situated north of the Zaskar Range and runs parallel to it. Only a few peaks of this range
exceed a height of 6000 meters.

Zaskar Range
• The Zaskar Range is situated south of the Ladakh Range. It houses Nanga Parbat, standing at 8126
m.

Kailas Range
• The Kailas Range (Gangdise in Chinese) in western Tibet is an offshoot of the Ladakh Range.
Mount Kailas, with an elevation of 6714 meters, is the highest peak in this range.
• The Indus River originates from the northern slopes of the Kailas Range.

Major Passes in the Trans Himalayas

Ranges Passes
Karakoram Karakoram Pass
Ladakh Khardung La
Zanskar Fotu La

The Greater Himalaya

• The Greater Himalaya, also known as Inner Himalaya, Central Himalaya, or Himadri, extends over
2500 km from Nanga Parbat to Namcha Barwa. Its width varies between 160-400 km. It has an
average elevation of 6000 meters above sea level.
• This mountain range has the tallest peaks in the world, such as Kamet and Nanda Devi in
Uttarakhand, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Mt. Everest in Nepal and Kanchenjunga in Sikkim.
• The Himadri abruptly terminates at the syntaxial bends, one near Nanga Parbat in the northwest
and the other near Namcha Barwa in the northeast.
• Composition: The Himadri is primarily composed of central crystallines, including granites and
gneisses, overlain by metamorphosed sediments such as limestone.
• Folds: The folds in this range are asymmetrical, creating a topography with steep south slopes and
gentle north slopes, giving hogback (a long, steep hill or mountain ridge) topography.
 Karakoram Range and The Greater Himalayas boasts of the tallest peaks of the world, most of
which remain under perpetual snow.
 Nanga Parbat means Naked Mountain. It is called so due to its isolation from the Karakoram
Range, which has many similar high peaks (eight thousanders)
 Mount Everest was first located by George Everest, the then Surveyor General of India, in 1841
and 1852. It was established as the highest peak in the world by the Great Trigonometrical Survey
of India.
Regional name of Mount Everest Region
Sagarmatha (The Goddess of the Sky) Nepal
Chomolungma (Mother of the World) China (Tibet)

Passes in the Greater Himalayas

• The passes are generally higher than 4,570 m above sea level and are snowbound for most of
the year.
State Passes of Greater Himalayas
J&K • Burzil Pass
• Zoji La
Himachal • Bara Lacha La is a pass in the Zanskar Range that connects the Lahaul district
Pradesh in Himachal Pradesh to the Leh district in Ladakh.
• Shipki La (The Hindustan-Tibet Road through Shipki La connects Shimla with
Gartok in Western Tibet)
• Rohtang La is a high mountain pass on the eastern end of the Pir Panjal Range
of the Himalayas, which is around 51 km from Manali in the Indian state of
Himachal Pradesh. It connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys
of Himachal Pradesh, India.
Uttarakhand • Thaga La, Niti Pass, Lipu Lekh, etc.
Sikkim • Nathu La and Jelep La.
• Important trade route connecting Kalimpong (near Darjeeling) with Lhasa in Tibet,
passes through Jelep La (4,386 m)).
Arunachal • Bum La
Pradesh

The Lesser Himalayas or The Middle Himalayas or The Himachal

• The Middle Himalayas, also known as the Lower Himalayas, lie between the Greater Himalayas in
the north and the Shiwaliks in the south, running almost parallel to both ranges.
• These ranges are 50 km wide and about 2400 km long. They have elevations ranging from 3,500
to 4,500 meters above sea level. Many peaks within this range surpass 5,050 meters and remain
snow-covered throughout the year.
• The Lower Himalayas have steep, barren southern slopes (steep slopes prevent soil formation) and
gentler, forest-covered northern slopes.
• In Uttarakhand, the Middle Himalayas are represented by the Mussoorie and Nag Tibba ranges.
The Mahabharat Lekh in southern Nepal is a continuation of the Mussoorie Range.
• To the east of the Kosi River, areas such as Sapta Kosi, Sikkim, Bhutan, Miri, Abor, and Mishmi
hills represent the lower Himalayas.
• The Middle Himalayan ranges are more accessible for human interaction. Most Himalayan hill resorts,
such as Shimla, Mussoorie, Ranikhet, Nainital, Almora, and Darjeeling, are situated in the Middle
Himalayas.
• This region consists of the famous valleys of Kashmir, the Kangra, the Kullu, the Katmandu and
Pokhara.

Important Ranges in the Lesser Himalayas

Region Ranges
Jammu and Kashmir and HP The Pir Panjal Range
Himachal Pradesh The Dhauladhar Range
Uttarakhand The Mussoorie Range and The Nag Tibba Range
Nepal Mahabharat Lekh
Arunachal Pradesh Dafla, Miri, Abor and Mishmi
The Pir Panjal range
• The Pir Panjal range in Kashmir is the most significant range, stretching over 300 km from the
Jhelum River to the upper Beas River. The Kishanganga, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers cut through
this range.
• It reaches heights of 5,000 meters and is primarily composed of volcanic rocks.
• To the southeast of the Ravi River, the Pir Panjal continues as the Dhauladhar range, traversing
through Dalhousie, Dharamshala, and Shimla.

Passes in Pir Panjal

• There are several passes in the Pir Panjal range, including the Pir Panjal Pass (3,480 m), Bidil (4,270
m), Golabghar Pass (3,812 m), and Banihal Pass (2,835 m).
• The Banihal Pass served as a route for the Jammu-Srinagar highway and the Jammu-Baramulla
railway. Its importance got reduced after the construction of the Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel.
• The tunnel, below the Banihal Pass, is a part of the National Highway 44 (Srinagar to
Kanyakumari). It became operational in 2021. It is one of the longest tunnels in India, with a length
of 8.45 km.

Shiwalik Range (Shiwaliks)

• The Shiwalik Range, also known as the Outer Himalayas, is situated between the Great Plains and
Lesser Himalayas.
• With altitudes ranging from 900 to 1100 meters, it spans 2,400 km from the Potwar Plateau
(Pakistan) in the west to the Brahmaputra Valley in the east.
• The width of the Shiwaliks varies from 50 km in Himachal Pradesh to less than 15 km in Arunachal
Pradesh.
• It runs mostly as a continuous chain of low hills for over 1600 km from northwestern India to the
Teesta River in Sikkim. A few streams and rivers dissect the hills at a few locations.
• Beyond Teesta, the valleys of the Tista River and Raidak River create a gap of 80-90 km. From
here on, the Shivalik hills have been highly discontinuous and even non-existent in some locations
due to the numerous streams and rivers and high annual rainfall in the region.
• The Shiwalik Range, extending from North-East India to Nepal, is covered with thick forests. However,
the forest cover decreases towards the west of Nepal due to a decrease in rainfall from east to west.
• The southern slopes are steep, while the northern slopes are gentle. The southern slopes in Punjab
and Himachal Pradesh lack significant forest cover and are highly dissected by seasonal streams
known as Chos.
The Shiwaliks are known by different names
Name of Shivaliks Region
Jammu Hills Jammu Region
Shivalik Hills Himachal Pradesh
The Dhang Range and Dundwa Range Uttarakhand
Churia Ghat Hills Nepal

Duns
• The longitudinal valleys lying between the Lesser Himalayas and Shivaliks are known as Duns. They
were once part of the floodplains of the rivers flowing in the region.
• Dehra Dun is the largest of all the duns, with an approximate length of 35-45 km and a width of 22-
25 km.
Formation of Duns (Duars/Dooars)
• Shiwalik Hills were formed by the accumulation and deposition of conglomerates (such as sand,
stone, silt, gravel, and debris) brought down by the fast-flowing Himalayan Rivers.
• During the initial deposition, the conglomerate depositions constantly obstructed and changed the
courses of rivers draining from the higher Himalayan reaches, forming temporary lakes. Over time,
these lakes gathered more conglomerates, which kept settling and filling the lake bottoms.
• As rivers gradually cut through the lakes filled with conglomerate deposits, the lakes were drained
away, leaving behind plains known as 'duns' or 'doons' in the west and 'duars' in the east.

Duras
• The duars are at the foothills of the eastern Himalayas in North-East India around Bhutan. Duar,
which means 'door', are passes in the Eastern Himalayas near Bhutan. The Western duars lies in
northern West Bengal and is a portion of the Terai.

Purvanchal or Eastern Hills

• At the Dihang Gorge, the Himalayas abruptly take a southward bend, giving rise to a series of
relatively low hills collectively known as the Purvanchal — the southward extensions of the
Himalayas that run along the north-eastern edge of India.
• These hills exhibit a convex shape to the west and stretch along the India-Myanmar Border,
extending from Arunachal Pradesh in the north to Mizoram in the south.
  The Meghalaya (Shillong) plateau is technically a part of the Deccan Peninsula. It was separated
from the peninsular rock base (at the Rajmahal Hills) by the Garo-Rajmahal gap created by the
Ganga-Brahmaputra River system. The region has the Garo, Khasi, Jaintia and Mikir (Rengma)
hills.

Regional Hills of The Purvanchal

Patkai Bum and Naga Hills
• The Patkai Bum hills, composed of strong sandstone, have elevations ranging from 2,000 to 3,000
meters. These hills merge into the Naga Hills, where Saramati (3,826 m) is the highest peak.
• The Patkai Bum and Naga Hills form the watershed between India and Myanmar.

Manipur hills
• South of the Naga Hills lies the Manipur hills, generally below 2,500 meters in elevation. The Barail
Range serves as the separation between the Naga Hills and Manipur Hills.

Mizo (Lushai) Hills

• To the south of the Manipur Hills are the Mizo Hills, formerly known as the Lushai Hills, with
elevations of less than 1,500 meters. The highest point is the Blue Mountain (2,157 m) in the south.
States Highest Peaks
Arunachal Pradesh Kangto
Nagaland Saramati
Manipur Mt. Tempu (Esii/ISO)
Mizoram Blue Mountain (2,157 m)
Tripura Betling Sib (Betlingchip)

Summary
AP/
Range J&K HP Uttarakhand Nepal
Assam
Karakoram
Trans Himalayas Zanskar —
Ladakh & Zanskar
Greater Himalayas
Length: 2500 km
Greater Himalayas
Average Height: 6000 m
Width: 160-400 km
Lesser Himalayas Miri
Length: 2400 km Mussoorie Abor
Pir Panjal Dhauladhar Mahabharat Lek
Average Height: 4000 m Nag Tibba Mishmi
Width: 50 km Dafla
Shivaliks
Length: 1600 km Dhang
Jammu Hills Shivalik Churia Ghat —
Average Height: 1000 m Dundwa
Width: 10-50 km