PHYSIOGRAPHY OF INDIA: THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS

The Northern and North-Eastern Mountains The Himalayas and Purvanchal hills are included in the northern and north-eastern mountain ranges. It is the highest mountain range in the world, which is characterized by its snowy peaks, glaciers, Known because of gorge and dense forests.These ranges of the Himalayas are part of a vast mountain system derived from the Pamir Knot, known as the roof of the world, located in Central Asia.
Geographical Division of the Himalayas. The Himalayas are not a single mountain, but a group of several mountain ranges interchangeable. Of these, the Su categories have been clearly identified (0 Greater Himalayas (i) Middle Himalayas (i) Shivalik Himalayas (iv) Trans Himalayas or Tibet Himalayas( v)The Eastern Hills or The Purvanchal

1. The Great himalayas or the Inner Himalayas - The Great Himalayan Range, known as the Central Axial Range, has an east-west length of 2,500 km. The major peaks of the Great Himalayas from the turn of the Indus River to the bend of the Brahmaputra River . The average width of the north to south major Himalayas is 25 km. It is also called Himadri. The average elevation of this range is more than 6000 meters. The height of this range is 8,126 m as Nanga Parbat in the west, 8,848 m as Everest in the middle and 7,756 m as Tamcha Barba in the east.
In this range 100 peaks are more than 6,000 meters high and 40 peaks are more than 7,500 meters high. Of the 94 major peaks above 7,300 meters of Asia, 92 peaks are found only in the Great Himalayas and Karakoram. Most of this category remains covered with snow throughout the year.
This region is the source of many large glaciers. The southern slope of this mountain range is very intense. The Ganges and Yamuna rivers originate from this part. The narrow and deep valleys of Indus, Sutlej and Dihang are also in this category. In this range there are several passes at an altitude of 4,570 meters. Kashmir Burjil La, Bara Lacha La, Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh, Thag La, Niti La, Lipulekh La in U.P. and Sikkim Nathu La and Jelep La are the main passes in Sikkim

2. The Lesser Himalayas or Himachal - This range lies south of the Himadri-range, and north of the Siwalik range, separated from it by the Main Boundary Thrust (M.B.T.). It consists of several parallel ranges e.g. Dhauladhar, Pir Panjal, Nag Tibba, Mahabharat range and Mussoorie range. The Pir Panjal (3494 m) and the Banihal (2832 m) are two important passes in this range. Several hill stations like Shimla, Chail, Chakrata, Mussoorie, Nainital, Ranikhet, Almora, Darjeeling, etc. are situated over this range. Several valleys are situated here, e.g.
the Valley of Kashmir between the Pir Panjal and westerly range of the himadri the Kangra valley in Himchal Pradesh extending from the foot of the Dhauladhar range, which is a strike valley, the Kulu Valley is a transverse valley. The southern slopes of the Lesser Himalayas are steep, rugged and bare, while the northern slopes are gentle, and thickly forested. Along the slopes a number of small pastures occur which are called 'merg' in Kashmir and bugyal' and 'payar' in Uttaranchal.

3. Sub Himalayas or Shivalik or Outer Himalayas - This is the last of the Himalayas in the south of both ranges, in the south of which lies the vast plain of northern India .This range, extending from east to west, is 15 to 50 km wide and 1,000 to 1,500 meters high. Between the miniature Himalayas and Shivalik, there are wide valleys known as the Doon in the west and the Duar on the east side, which is actually the gateway to himalayas. Dehradun, Kothari Doon, Patlidun, Udhampur, Tali, Chaukhambha and Una are situated in similar valleys. The southern slopes of Shiwalik are barren and highly cut, they are called 'Cho' in Himachal Pradesh.

4. Trans Himalayas or Tibet Himalayas - This range lies to the north of the Great Himalayas and to the south of Tibet. The height of this range is 4,100 to 5,700 m, 960 km long. The range is 225 km in its center and 40 km wide on the eastern and western sides. This category acts as a water-divide between the rivers falling in the Bay of Bengal and the rivers falling in the lakes on the north side of India. In this region there is a small Karakoram mountain range extending from east to west, which is called the back bone of the Tibetan plateau. The average elevation of this range is 6,000 meters. The main peak of this range is K-2 or Godwin Austin 8,611 meters high. This is the highest peak in India which is in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Other important here are the peaks are Hidden Peak, Broad Peak and Gusherbrum II. There are three categories of the Karakoram ranges, which are known as the Apal (Aghil), Muztagh and Ladakh ranges respectively. Many glaciers flow in Karakoram, among which Baltoro, Hisper, Batura and Bifaon are famous. Located at an altitude of 5,575 meters, the Karakoram Pass acts as a gateway between India and the Tarim Basin.

5.     The Eastern Hills or The Purvanchal . lt is located to the east of the main Himalayas, which is why it is called Purvanchal. This part is also known as Eastern Highland or Eastern Hills. After crossing the Dihang Gorge of the Brahmaputra River, the Himalayan mountain turns south and forms a series of hills. These hills are spread in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and East Assam.