The Himalayas, which literally means "abode of snow," is the world's youngest and tallest series of folded mountains. In India, it stretches east from Myanmar's borders to where the Indus separates it from the Hindukush and Karakoram ranges, a distance of around 2500 km. The Himalayas are divided into three parallel ranges: the Greater Himalayas, known as the Himadri, the Lesser Himalayas, known as the Himachal, and the Shivalik hills, which form the foothills. This article will explain to you about The Greater Himalayan range which will be helpful in Geography preparation for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Himalayan range

• The Himalayas are geologically young and structurally fold mountains that reach beyond India's northern boundaries.
• From the Indus to the Brahmaputra, these mountain ranges stretch west to east.
• The Himalayas are the highest and one of the most difficult mountain ranges on the planet.
• The Great or Inner Himalayas, also known as the Himadri, are the highest mountains in the world. It is the most continuous range, with the highest peaks about 6,000 metres in height.
• The Himachal, or smaller Himalaya, range is to the south of the Himadri and forms the most difficult mountain chain.
• The Shiwaliks are the Himalayas' most remote range. They range in breadth from 10 to 50 kilometres and in altitude from 900 to 1100 metres.
• These mountains are made up of unconsolidated sediments carried down by rivers from the major Himalayan peaks farther north. These valleys are covered in alluvium and heavy gravel.
• Deep valleys separate the ranges, resulting in a highly dissected topography [(of a plateau or upland) broken by a series of deep valleys].
• The southern slopes feature severe gradients, whereas the northern slopes have gentler slopes.
• The majority of the Himalayan ranges are located in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The northern slopes are located partly in Tibet (trans-Himalayas), whereas the western extremities are located in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.
• Between Tibet and the Ganga Plain, the Himalayas are a series of three parallel mountains.

Formation of the Himalayas

• Millions of years ago, the Indian subcontinent was isolated from the mainland by the Tethys Sea.
• The earth's crust began to migrate northwards towards the continent during the Continental Drift movement.
• As it approached the Asian continent, the Tethys sea bottom was forced upwards, revealing the Himalayas.
• The fossils of marine creatures discovered at elevations of 5000 feet or higher provide proof of this.
• The Himalayas are the source of three of the world's largest rivers: the Ganga, the Indus, and the Brahmaputra.
• These rivers are India's lifelines, supplying water to millions of people and irrigating thousands of hectares of land.

The Great Himalaya

• Inner Himalaya, Central Himalaya, and Himadri are other names for the Himalayas.
• The average elevation is 6,100 metres above sea level, and the average breadth is around 25 kilometres.
• It is mostly composed of metamorphosed sediments [limestone] overlain by central crystallines (granites and gneisses).
• This range's folds are asymmetrical, with a steep south slope and a mild north slope, resulting in hog back (a long, steep hill or mountain ridge) topography.
• This mountain arc, like the other two, convexes to the south.
• The syntaxial bends are where the sentence terminates suddenly. One in the northwestern Nanga Parbat and the other in the north-eastern Namcha Barwa.
• This mountain range is home to the world's highest peaks, the majority of which are perpetually snow-covered.

The Trans Himalayas

• The Himalayan ranges are located directly to the north of the Great Himalayan range.Because the majority of it is in Tibet, it is also known as the Tibetan Himalaya.
• The primary ranges are the Zaskar, Ladakh, Kailas, and Karakoram.
• It runs over around 1,000 kilometres in an east-west direction.
• The Nanga Parbat (8126 m) is a significant range in the Zaskar Range.
• The Ladakh Range runs parallel to and north of the Zaskar Range. Only a few peaks in this range reach elevations of exceeding 6000 metres.
• The Kailas Range (Gangdise in Chinese) is an extension of the Ladakh Range in western Tibet.
• Mount Kailash is the highest point. The Indus River rises on the northern slopes of the Kailash mountain.
• The Great Karakoram Range, also known as the Krishnagiri Range, is India's northernmost Trans-Himalayan Range.
• The Karakoram Range stretches for around 800 kilometres east of the Pamir. It is a mountain range with high peaks.
• It is home to some of the world's largest glaciers outside of the polar regions.
• Some of the summits rise above sea level by more than 8,000 metres. K2 [Godwin Austen or Qogir] is the world's second highest mountain and the highest in the Indian.
• The Ladakh Plateau is located to the north-east of the Karakoram Mountains. It has been divided into several plains and mountains.

Lesser Himalayas

• The Shiwaliks to the south and the Greater Himalayas to the north. It runs nearly parallel to both ranges.
• It is often referred to as the Himachal or Lower Himalaya.
• The lower Himalayan mountains are 60-80 km broad and 2400 km long.
• The elevation ranges from 3,500 to 4,500 metres above sea level.
• Many peaks rise beyond 5,050 metres above sea level and are snow-covered all year.
• The lower Himalayas have steep, barren southern slopes [steep slopes impede soil formation] and gentler, forested northern slopes.
• The Mussoorie and Nag Tibba hills in Uttarakhand define the Middle Himalayas.
• The Mahabharat Lekh in southern Nepal is a continuation of the Mussoorie Range east of the Kosi River. The lower Himalayas are represented by the Sapta Kosi, Sikkim, Bhutan, Miri, Abor, and Mishmi hills.
• The Middle Himalayan mountains are more hospitable to human interaction.
• Shimla, Mussoorie, Ranikhet, Nainital, Almora, and Darjeeling, among other Himalayan hill resorts, are located here.

Pir Panjal Range

• In Kashmir, the Pir Panjal range is the longest and most significant range.
• The Pir Panjal Range is a range of mountains in the Lesser Himalayan area that stretches from east to west.
• It stretches approximately 300 kilometres from the Jhelum River to the upper Beas River.
• It reaches a height of 5,000 metres and is largely made up of volcanic rocks. The Pir Panjal is the Lesser Himalayas' biggest range.
• It separates from the Himalayas at the Sutlej River's bank, forming a split between the Beas and Ravi rivers on one side and the Chenab on the other. This range also includes the well-known Galyat mountains.

Lesser Himalayas - Important Ranges

• The valley of Kashmir is located between the Pir Panjal and the Zaskar Ranges of the major Himalayas. (the average elevation is 1,585 metres above sea level)
• Alluvial, lacustrine [lake deposits], fluvial [river activity], and glacial sediments cover the valley's synclinal basin.
• The Jhelum River meanders through these sediments, draining via a steep valley in the Pir Panjal. (Kashmir is similar to a basin with limited exits.)
• Kangra Valley is located in Himachal Pradesh. It is a striking valley that stretches from the Dhauladhar Range's foothills to the south of Beas.
• The Kulu Valley, on the other hand, is a transverse valley in the Ravi's upper course.

The Shiwalik range

• Outer Himalayas is another name for the Himalayas.
• It is situated between the Great Plains and the Lesser Himalayas.
• The elevation ranges from 600 to 1500 metres.
• It stretches 2,400 kilometres from the Potwar Plateau to the Brahmaputra Valley.
• The slopes in the south are steep, while the slopes in the north are mild.
• The Shiwaliks range in breadth from 50 km in Himachal Pradesh to less than 15 km in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Except for a break of 80-90 km filled by the valleys of the Tista and Raidak rivers, they constitute nearly an uninterrupted range of low hills.
• The Shiwalik range from North-East India to Nepal is densely forested, while the forest cover reduces west of Nepal (The quantum of rainfall decreases from east to west in Shiwaliks and Ganga Plains).
• The Shivalik range's southern slopes in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are largely bereft of forest cover. These hills are criss-crossed with seasonal streams known as Chos.
• Valleys are synclines, whereas hills are anticlines or anti synclines.

Purvanchal

• The Patkai Bum hills are built of solid sandstone and range in elevation from 2,000 to 3,000 metres. They blend into the Naga Hills, with Saramati (3,826 metres) being the highest peak.
• The watershed between India and Myanmar is formed by the Patkai Bum and Naga Hills.
• The Manipur hills, to the south of the Naga Hills, are typically less than 2,500 metres in elevation.
• Naga Hills and Manipur Hills are separated by the Barail mountain.
• The Barail Range swings westward into the Jaintia, Khasi, and Garo hills to the south, which represent an eastward extension of the Indian peninsular block.
• The Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers separate them from the main block.
• The Mizo Hills (formerly known as the Lushai Hills) are located south of the Manipur Hills and have an elevation of less than 1,500 metres.
• The Blue Mountain (2,157 m) in the south is the highest peak.

Significance of The Greater Himalayan Range

• Due to the general temperature fluctuations as one climbs higher, there is a vast diversity of plants and wildlife, making it a naturalist's paradise.
• The tropics' plants and animals can be found up to 1000 metres, the temperate zone's species may be found up to 3000 metres, and the Alpines' territory is above that.
• The flora and animals change with elevation and temperature, from deodars to azaleas to pines and firs, from the tiger to the snow leopard, from sparrows and cormorants to snow partridges, snow cocks, and snow pigeons.
• The Himalayas have an important part in affecting India's climate. They successfully intercept the summer monsoons coming from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, causing precipitation in the form of rain or snow, due to their high height, length, and direction.
• Almost all of India's major rivers originate in the Himalayan mountains. The feeding grounds of India's powerful rivers are abundant rainfall, extensive snowfields, and enormous glaciers. The Himalayan Rivers, together with hundreds of its tributaries, are the lifeblood of northern India.
• Since ancient times, the Himalayas have served as a defensive barrier, shielding India from outside invasions.
• The Himalayan mountains feature a great number of tourist attractions due to its stunning beauty and healthy climate.

Conclusion

The Himalayas, geologically young and structurally fold mountains that reach beyond India's northern boundaries, are geologically young and structurally fold mountains. The Great Himalayas, also known as the Higher Himalayas or the Great Himalaya Range, are the tallest and northernmost mountain ranges in the Himalayas. The world's tallest peaks, the bulk of which are constantly snow-covered, are found in this mountain range.