Defence
In Maharashtra, the Western Ghats are known by which name?
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Answer: Option A — Sahyadri Hills
Detailed Solution
The Western Ghats are known as the Sahyadri (or Sahyadris) in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The name comes from Sanskrit and is often explained as "the benevolent mountains".
About the Western Ghats:
- They run parallel to the western coast of India for about 1,600 km, from the Tapi river valley in Gujarat-Maharashtra south to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
- They pass through Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- They are not true mountains but the faulted and eroded western edge (escarpment) of the Deccan Plateau.
Their height increases from north to south. The highest peak is Anamudi (2,695 metres) in Kerala, the highest peak of peninsular India.
They act as a barrier to the south-west monsoon winds, causing heavy rain on the western slopes and a rain-shadow on the eastern side.
Most peninsular rivers, such as the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, rise in the Western Ghats and flow east into the Bay of Bengal.
They are one of the world's biodiversity hotspots (with Sri Lanka) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2012).
Regional names of the Western Ghats:
- Maharashtra and northern Karnataka: Sahyadri.
- Tamil Nadu: Nilgiri Hills (where they meet the Eastern Ghats), and farther south the Anaimalai, Palani and Cardamom Hills.
- Kerala: Anaimalai and Cardamom Hills.
- The Palghat Gap separates the Nilgiris from the Anaimalai hills.
Features of the Sahyadri:
- Kalsubai (about 1,646 metres) is the highest peak of Maharashtra.
- Hill stations include Mahabaleshwar, Matheran, Lonavala and Panchgani.
- Passes include Thal Ghat and Bhor Ghat, which carry road and rail routes from Mumbai to the interior.
- The Shivaji-era forts of Maharashtra, such as Raigad, Rajgad and Sinhagad, are built on Sahyadri hilltops.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Nilgiri Hills lie at the junction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka; Doddabetta is their highest peak.
- ✗The Anaimalai Hills, in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, contain Anamudi.
- ✗The Cardamom Hills lie in southern Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Quick tip
Remember: Western Ghats = Sahyadri in Maharashtra; highest of Maharashtra = Kalsubai; highest of the whole range = Anamudi.
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Physical Features of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Physical Features of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's location and extent, its neighbours and boundary lines, and its physiographic divisions: the Himalayas, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the Indian Desert, the coastal plains and the islands, along with important mountain passes, peaks and hill ranges. Questions often ask which states the Tropic of Cancer passes through, the southernmost point of India (Indira Point), the highest peak in India (Kangchenjunga), and which pass connects which regions. India shares its longest land border with Bangladesh. Learning the Himalayan ranges from north to south (Himadri, Himachal and Shiwaliks) is also useful. Practise the physical features of India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.