Understanding the Location of the Indian Desert

The Indian Desert, also widely known as the Thar Desert, is a large arid region located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. It covers significant parts of Rajasthan state in India and extending into Pakistan.

The question asks about the geographical feature towards which the Indian desert lies on its western margins. To answer this, we need to understand the relative positions of the given options concerning the Thar Desert.

Analysing the Options and the Indian Desert's Position

Let's look at the locations of the hills mentioned in the options:

• Kaimur Hills: Part of the Vindhya Range, located in central India (eastern part of Madhya Pradesh and extending into Uttar Pradesh and Bihar). These are far to the east of the Indian Desert.
• Himadri: This refers to the Greater Himalayas, located in the northern part of India, forming a massive mountain range. The Indian Desert is in the northwest, far from the Himadri range.
• Nilgiri Hills: Located in the southern part of India, at the junction of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. These are in the Deccan Plateau region, very far south of the Indian Desert.
• Aravalli Hills: This is one of the oldest fold mountain ranges in India, running in a southwest to northeast direction across Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat. The Aravalli Range is located on the southeastern side of the Thar Desert. The desert lies to the northwest of the Aravalli Hills. Therefore, looking from the desert towards its eastern side, the Aravalli Hills form a significant boundary or margin. The question states "western margins of the ________", implying the desert is to the west of this feature. If the desert is towards the western margins of something, that something must be to the east/southeast of the desert. The Aravalli Hills fit this description, lying to the southeast of the main desert area. Thus, the desert is towards the western side or western margin of the Aravalli Hills.

Let's visualize the relative positions:

Based on this geographical relationship, the Indian desert (Thar Desert) is located towards the western margins of the Aravalli Hills. The Aravalli Range plays a role in limiting the eastward spread of the desert.

Conclusion

The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravalli Hills.

Revision Table: Indian Desert Location

Additional Information: The Aravalli Range

The Aravalli Range is an important geographical feature in India. Here are some key facts:

• It is considered one of the oldest fold mountain systems in the world.
• It stretches for about 692 kilometers from Gujarat through Rajasthan to Haryana and Delhi.
• The highest peak in the Aravalli Range is Guru Shikhar.
• The range acts as a divide between the Thar Desert to the northwest and the relatively more fertile plains to the southeast.
• The presence of the Aravallis influences the climate and rainfall patterns in the region. Monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea branch are partly blocked by the southern part of the range, but the northern part is discontinuous, allowing some wind passage, but the winds are generally not moisture-laden by the time they reach the desert.