SSC
The Eastern Ghats stretch from the:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option C — Mahanadi valley to the Nilgiris
Detailed Solution
The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of low hills that run along the eastern edge of the Deccan Plateau, roughly parallel to the east coast of India. They stretch from the Mahanadi valley in Odisha in the north to the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu in the south, where they meet the Western Ghats.
Features of the Eastern Ghats:
- They are much older and lower than the Western Ghats, with an average height of about 600 metres.
- They are broken into separate hill ranges by the large east-flowing rivers that cut through them, such as the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, which have formed wide deltas on the east coast.
- Important hill ranges include the Mahendragiri hills (Odisha), the Nallamala hills, the Velikonda hills, the Palkonda hills and the Javadi and Shevaroy hills (Tamil Nadu).
The highest peak of the Eastern Ghats is Jindhagada (about 1,690 metres) in Andhra Pradesh. Mahendragiri (about 1,501 metres) in Odisha is another high peak. (Some sources name Arma Konda in Andhra Pradesh as the highest.)
The Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh is a well-known hill area in the Eastern Ghats, famous for coffee grown by tribal farmers.
The Western Ghats (Sahyadri), by contrast, run continuously along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau from the Tapi valley (south of the Narmada and Tapi) in Gujarat to Kanyakumari. They are higher, with an average height of 900-1,600 metres. Their highest peak is Anamudi (2,695 metres) in the Anamalai hills of Kerala, which is also the highest peak in South India. The Western Ghats are a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2012) and one of the world's biodiversity hotspots.
The two ranges meet in the Nilgiri Hills, whose highest peak is Doddabetta (2,637 metres). The Palghat Gap (Palakkad Gap) in the Western Ghats separates the Nilgiris from the Anamalai hills.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Tapi valley to Kanyakumari describes the Western Ghats.
- ✗Narmada valley to the Palghat Gap is incorrect.
- ✗Aravallis to the Cardamom Hills is incorrect.
Quick tip
Remember: Eastern Ghats = Mahanadi valley to the Nilgiris, discontinuous and lower; Western Ghats = Tapi valley to Kanyakumari, continuous, highest peak Anamudi; they meet at the Nilgiris (Doddabetta).
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Physical Features of India Questions
View all ›- Q1.Which is the largest state of India by area?
- Q2.The stretch of the western coast of India between Mumbai and Goa is known as the:
- Q3.In India, 'Kayals', a distinctive feature of the Malabar Coast, refer to:
- Q4.India's share of the world's total land area is about:
- Q5.Doddabetta Peak is located in which of the following hill ranges?
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
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.