Physiographic Divisions of India
The six physiographic divisions of India for UPSC — Himalayan ranges and duns, Bhabar to Khadar, Central Highlands and Deccan, Ghats, coasts and islands.
SyllabusGS I · Indian and world geography — physical, social, economic geography of India
Prerequisites: Geomorphology · The Universe and the Earth
The Hook: Why Did Joshimath Sink?
In January 2023, cracks spread through hundreds of houses, roads and hotels in Joshimath, a hill town in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand that is the gateway to Badrinath. Families were evacuated and the town was declared subsidence-affected. Geologists pointed out what a government committee had warned as early as 1976: the town stands on loose, old landslide and glacial debris, on the slopes of a young and still-rising mountain chain.
The question the episode raises is the question this chapter answers: how does the origin and structure of a landform decide what humans can safely do on it?
The Core Concept
India’s land is the product of two very different histories. The Peninsula is a fragment of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana — hard, old, stable crystalline rock. The Himalayas rose when the Indian plate drifted north and collided with the Eurasian plate; they are young, tectonically active and still rising. Between the two lies a vast trough filled with river sediment — the Northern Plains. The deserts, coasts and islands complete the picture.
| Division | Geological identity | Key words |
|---|---|---|
| Himalayan Mountains | Young fold mountains; tectonically active | Himadri, Himachal, Shiwalik, duns, Purvanchal |
| Northern Plains | Alluvial depositional plain in a foredeep | Bhabar, Terai, Bhangar, Khadar, doabs |
| Peninsular Plateau | Oldest landmass; Gondwana block of igneous and metamorphic rocks | Central Highlands, Deccan, Ghats, Deccan Trap |
| Indian Desert | Arid sandy plain west of the Aravalis | Marusthali, barchans, Luni |
| Coastal Plains | Narrow west, broad east | Konkan, Malabar, Circars, Coromandel, deltas |
| Islands | Andaman and Nicobar: submerged mountain chain; Lakshadweep: coral | Barren Island, Ten Degree Channel, atolls |
graph TD
A[Physiographic divisions of India] --> B[Himalayan Mountains]
A --> C[Northern Plains]
A --> D[Peninsular Plateau]
A --> E[Indian Desert]
A --> F[Coastal Plains]
A --> G[Islands]
B --> B1[Himadri / Himachal / Shiwalik + Purvanchal]
C --> C1[Punjab plains / Ganga plains / Brahmaputra plains]
D --> D1[Central Highlands north of the Narmada]
D --> D2[Deccan Plateau south of the Narmada]
F --> F1[Western: Konkan, Kannad, Malabar]
F --> F2[Eastern: Northern Circars, Coromandel]
G --> G1[Andaman and Nicobar]
G --> G2[Lakshadweep]1. The Himalayan Mountains
The Himalayas run as an arc from the Indus in the west to the Brahmaputra in the east, about 2,400 km long (NCERT). Their width varies from about 400 km in Kashmir to about 150 km in Arunachal Pradesh, and the altitudinal variation is greater in the east than in the west.
Longitudinal divisions (north to south):
| Range | Features |
|---|---|
| Greater Himalaya (Himadri) | Northernmost, most continuous range; loftiest peaks; average height about 6,000 m (NCERT); core of granite; perennially snow-bound; source of many glaciers |
| Lesser Himalaya (Himachal) | Rugged; highly compressed and altered rocks; Pir Panjal (the longest and most important range), Dhaula Dhar and Mahabharat ranges; valleys of Kashmir, Kangra and Kullu; most hill stations |
| Shiwalik (Outer Himalaya) | Outermost range; made of unconsolidated sediments brought down by rivers; longitudinal valleys called duns (Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun, Patli Dun) lie between the Lesser Himalaya and the Shiwaliks |
North of the Greater Himalaya lie the Trans-Himalayan ranges — the Karakoram, Ladakh and Zaskar ranges.
Regional divisions (west to east), defined by river valleys:
| Section | Between |
|---|---|
| Punjab Himalaya (Kashmir and Himachal Himalaya) | Indus and Satluj |
| Kumaon Himalaya | Satluj and Kali |
| Nepal Himalaya | Kali and Teesta |
| Assam Himalaya | Teesta and Dihang (Brahmaputra) |
Beyond the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply south along India’s eastern boundary as the Purvanchal — the Patkai Bum, Naga Hills, Manipur Hills and the Mizo (Lushai) Hills. These are made largely of sedimentary rocks and are covered with dense forest.
2. The Northern Plains
Formed by the interplay of the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra and their tributaries, the plains are built of alluvium deposited in a vast basin (a foredeep) lying south of the Himalayas. NCERT gives their extent as about 7 lakh sq km, about 2,400 km long and 240 to 320 km broad.
Relief zones (from the Himalayan foothills southward):
| Zone | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Bhabar | Narrow belt (about 8–16 km) of pebbles and boulders at the foot of the Shiwaliks | Porous; streams disappear underground |
| Terai | Wet, swampy, marshy belt south of the Bhabar | Streams re-emerge; once thickly forested and rich in wildlife; much now cleared for farming |
| Bhangar | Older alluvium, on terraces above flood level | Contains calcareous deposits called kankar |
| Khadar | Newer alluvium of the floodplains | Renewed almost every year; very fertile |
Regional divisions: the Punjab plains in the west (formed by the Indus and its tributaries; dominated by doabs), the Ganga plains from the Ghaggar to the Teesta, and the Brahmaputra plains in Assam in the east. A doab is the land between two rivers (“do” = two, “ab” = water).
3. The Peninsular Plateau
A tableland of old crystalline, igneous and metamorphic rocks — the oldest landmass of India. It has broad, shallow valleys and rounded hills, the result of long erosion. The Narmada divides it into two parts:
| Part | Extent and features |
|---|---|
| Central Highlands (north of the Narmada) | Bounded by the Aravalis on the north-west; the Vindhyan range on the south; the Malwa plateau; eastward extensions are Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand; the Chotanagpur plateau further east is drained by the Damodar. Rivers here (Chambal, Betwa, Ken, Sind) flow north-east, showing the general slope |
| Deccan Plateau (south of the Narmada) | A triangular landmass. The Satpura range flanks it in the north; the Mahadeo, Kaimur and Maikal ranges form its eastward extension. It is higher in the west and slopes gently east |
Western Ghats vs Eastern Ghats:
| Feature | Western Ghats (Sahyadri) | Eastern Ghats |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity | Continuous; crossed only through passes (Thal, Bhor, Pal) | Discontinuous; cut by the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri |
| Height | Higher (NCERT: average 900–1,600 m) | Lower (NCERT: average about 600 m) |
| Highest peak | Anai Mudi (2,695 m) — highest in Peninsular India; Doddabetta (2,637 m) in the Nilgiris | Mahendragiri (1,501 m) |
| Rainfall | Orographic rain on windward slopes | Less rain |
The two Ghats meet in the Nilgiri Hills. The north-western part of the Deccan is covered by the Deccan Trap — basaltic lava flows that weathered into black soil. An extension of the plateau is seen in the north-east as the Meghalaya (Shillong) plateau (Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills) and the Karbi Anglong plateau, separated from the Chotanagpur plateau by a fault (the Malda gap).
4. The Indian Desert
The Marusthali, west of the Aravali hills, is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes and crescent-shaped dunes called barchans. Rainfall is low (NCERT: below 150 mm a year), vegetation is sparse and streams appear only during the rainy season before disappearing into the sand. The Luni is the only large river of the region.
5. The Coastal Plains
| Feature | Western Coastal Plain | Eastern Coastal Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Width | Narrow, sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea | Broad and level |
| Parts (north to south) | Konkan (Mumbai–Goa), Kannad, Malabar | Northern Circars (north), Coromandel (south) |
| River mouths | Short, swift rivers form estuaries; no large deltas | Large deltas of the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri |
| Coast type | A submerged coast (NCERT) — good natural harbours | An emergent coast — fewer natural harbours |
| Special features | Kayals (backwaters) of the Malabar coast | Chilika (Odisha) — India’s largest saltwater lake; Pulicat lake |
6. The Islands
| Group | Origin and features |
|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar (Bay of Bengal) | Elevated portions of submarine mountains; Barren Island has India’s only active volcano; the Ten Degree Channel separates the Andamans from the Nicobars; Indira Point on Great Nicobar is the southernmost point of India; Saddle Peak in North Andaman is the highest point of the Andamans |
| Lakshadweep (Arabian Sea) | Small coral islands (atolls); Kavaratti is the administrative headquarters; the Nine Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the main group, and the Eight Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the Maldives |
Memory Anchors
Himalayan ranges, north to south: “Great Leaders Stay” → Greater (Himadri) · Lesser (Himachal) · Shiwalik.
Regional Himalaya, west to east: “Please Keep Nepal Ahead” → Punjab · Kumaon · Nepal · Assam, separated by Satluj · Kali · Teesta.
Plains, foothills southward: “Big Trees Before Kheti” → Bhabar (streams vanish) · Terai (streams return) · Bhangar (old, kankar) · Khadar (new, fertile).
Punjab doabs, east to west: “Big Bad Rats Chew Sugar” → Bist-Jalandhar (Beas–Satluj) · Bari (Beas–Ravi) · Rechna (Ravi–Chenab) · Chaj (Chenab–Jhelum) · Sind Sagar (Jhelum/Chenab–Indus).
Island channels, north to south: 10 (Andaman | Nicobar), then 9 (Lakshadweep | Minicoy), then 8 (Minicoy | Maldives) — the numbers fall as you go south and west.
One-line Mains hook: “The Himalayas are young, fragile and still rising — development there must be planned for the mountain as it is, not as we wish it to be.”
For Prelims
- The Pir Panjal is the longest and most important range of the Lesser Himalaya.
- Duns lie between the Lesser Himalaya and the Shiwaliks (Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun, Patli Dun).
- Bhabar — streams disappear; Terai — streams re-emerge; Bhangar — old alluvium with kankar; Khadar — new alluvium.
- The Narmada separates the Central Highlands from the Deccan Plateau.
- Anai Mudi (2,695 m) is the highest peak of Peninsular India; Mahendragiri (1,501 m) is the highest of the Eastern Ghats.
- Thal, Bhor and Pal (Palghat) are passes of the Western Ghats.
- Barren Island is India’s only active volcano; the Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman from the Nicobar group.
- Lakshadweep is of coral origin; the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are elevated portions of submarine mountains, commonly described as a southward continuation of the Arakan Yoma of Myanmar.
For Mains
- Dimensions: geological (origin and structure); climatic (Himalayas as a barrier to cold winds and trap for monsoon rain); hydrological (perennial rivers, groundwater recharge in the Bhabar–Terai); economic (agriculture on alluvium, minerals in the Peninsula, ports on the west coast); strategic (passes, island chains); disaster (landslides, subsidence, earthquakes, coastal erosion).
- Keywords: Gondwana, foredeep, fold mountains, antecedent drainage, alluvial fan, rain shadow, submergent and emergent coasts, carrying capacity, fragile ecosystem.
- Value-addition: link the Joshimath subsidence (January 2023) to the instability of young mountains; link the absence of deltas on the west coast to short, swift rivers and the submerged coast; link the Andaman and Nicobar chain to the Indian Ocean’s maritime security.
Common Traps
In the News
- January 2023 — land subsidence in Joshimath, Uttarakhand, forces evacuations; a case study in building on unstable Himalayan slopes. See Geophysical Phenomena.
- November 2023 — 41 workers trapped by the collapse of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, are rescued after 17 days; it renewed debate on infrastructure in the young Himalayan geology. See Disaster Management.
Practice
Prelims
Consider the following statements about the Northern Plains of India:
- In the Bhabar belt, streams disappear because the belt is made of porous pebbles and boulders.
- The Terai lies to the south of the Bhabar and is a wet, swampy belt.
- Bhangar is the newer alluvium deposited by floods almost every year.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. The Bhabar is a pebble belt where streams sink underground; they re-emerge in the marshy Terai to its south. Statement 3 is incorrect — Bhangar is the older alluvium on terraces above flood level and contains kankar. The newer alluvium renewed by floods is the Khadar.
Answer: C
How many of the following hill ranges are part of the Eastern Ghats?
- Nallamala Hills
- Javadi Hills
- Anaimalai Hills
- Cardamom Hills
Solution
The Nallamala and Javadi hills belong to the Eastern Ghats system. The Anaimalai and Cardamom hills are in the southern Western Ghats — Anai Mudi, the highest peak of the Peninsula, is in the Anaimalai hills. So only two.
Answer: B
Which one of the following separates the Andaman group of islands from the Nicobar group?
Solution
The Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands. The Duncan Passage separates South Andaman from Little Andaman (both within the Andaman group). The Nine Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the main Lakshadweep group, and the Eight Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the Maldives — both in the Arabian Sea.
Answer: D
Mains
“The Himalayas are not just a mountain wall but the lifeline of the Indian subcontinent.” Discuss, and examine why their fragility calls for a different model of development.
Solution
Introduction: The Himalayas are young fold mountains formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. They stretch about 2,400 km from the Indus to the Brahmaputra and shape the climate, water and economy of the subcontinent.
Body — significance:
- Climate: block cold Central Asian winds in winter; force the monsoon winds to shed rain over the north; their presence influences the jet streams that govern the monsoon.
- Water: glaciers and snowfields feed perennial rivers (Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra systems) that support irrigation and hydropower.
- Soil: the rivers bring down the alluvium that built the Northern Plains.
- Economy and culture: forests, horticulture, tourism and pilgrimage (Badrinath, Kedarnath, Amarnath).
- Strategic: a natural frontier; passes such as Shipki La and Nathu La have trade and defence value.
Body — fragility:
- Young, tectonically active, high seismic zones; steep slopes of unconsolidated material.
- Episodes such as the Joshimath subsidence (January 2023) and the Silkyara tunnel collapse (November 2023) show the cost of ignoring geology.
- Glacial retreat raises the risk of glacial lake outburst floods.
Way forward: carrying-capacity studies for hill towns; geological and hydrological assessment before tunnels and roads; zoning of hazard-prone slopes; disaster early warning; community-based forest and watershed management.
Conclusion: The Himalayas sustain the plains below them; protecting their stability is not an environmental luxury but a condition for the subcontinent’s water and food security.
Quick Revision
| Point | One-liner |
|---|---|
| Six divisions | Himalayas, Northern Plains, Peninsular Plateau, Indian Desert, Coastal Plains, Islands |
| Himalayan ranges | Himadri (north) → Himachal → Shiwalik (south); duns between Himachal and Shiwalik |
| Regional Himalaya | Punjab · Kumaon · Nepal · Assam (divided by Satluj, Kali, Teesta) |
| Plains zones | Bhabar → Terai → Bhangar (old) / Khadar (new) |
| Plateau divide | Narmada: Central Highlands (north) vs Deccan (south) |
| Highest peaks | Anai Mudi 2,695 m (Peninsula); Mahendragiri 1,501 m (Eastern Ghats) |
| Coasts | West narrow, submerged, estuaries; East broad, emergent, deltas |
| Islands | Andaman–Nicobar: Ten Degree Channel, Barren Island; Lakshadweep: coral, Kavaratti |
Key Takeaways
- India’s relief is the meeting of an old, stable Gondwana block (the Peninsula) and young, active fold mountains (the Himalayas), with an alluvial trough between them.
- Most Prelims questions test order and location — ranges north to south, plains zones, Ghats, passes and island channels.
- Mains questions test significance and fragility — link relief to climate, rivers, agriculture, settlement and disasters.
Related Topics
- Physiography of India — quick revision
- Physiography of India — practice questions
- Drainage System of India
- Indian Climate and the Monsoon
- Geomorphology