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Introduction

The Himalayan mountain range refers to the mountain range in Asia that splits up the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. There are three ranges of Himalayas  –  Outer Himalayas, Middle Himalayas, and the Inner Himalayas. The northernmost range of the Himalayas is known as Himadri or Greater  Himalayas.

The Himalayan Mountain Range System:

  • The Himalayan mountain range system has three parts, and the Himalayas is one of them
  • The three parts are structurally folded mountains that go over the northern borders of India
  • The Himalayan Ranges stretch from west to east, from the Indus to the Brahmaputra river
  • The three parts are formed by the tectonic collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate
  • The Himalayas are the highest mountain ranges with glaciers, gorges, deep valleys, and the highest peaks in the world
  • The parts of the Himalayas mountain range form an arc over the Indian subcontinent, which runs a distance of around varying width from 400 km. in Kashmir to 150 km. in Arunachal Pradesh, and 2,400 km. in length total
  • There are more significant altitudinal variations of Himalaya in the eastern part than the western part
  • The mountains work as a physical barrier between India and East and Central Asian countries and protects from Central Asia’s icy cold winds
  • The mountains act as a cultural, drainage, and climatic divide
  • The northern mountain system has three ranges: three Himalayas: The Purvanchal Hills, The Trans Himalayas, and The Himalayas

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Three Ranges of Himalayas

  • The Himalayas cover the distance from the west (Indus) to the east (Brahmaputra) along India’s northern boundary
  • They run a distance of 2500 km. and 150 km. in the east, and their width varies from 400 km. in the west
  • The Himalayas can be categorized on various basis. The most common categorisation is based on the south-north alignment. This is known as the longitudinal division of the Himalayas. There is also a categorisation based on the east to the west division of the Himalayas based on the height and regional height of the mountains
  • Three parallel ranges exist in the Himalayan Ranges based on longitudinal division – Shivaliks (the Outer Himalayas), Himachal or the Lesser Himalayas (the Middle Himalayas), and Himadri or the Greater Himalayas (the innermost mountain ranges)
  • The general orientation of these mountains is northwest to southeast in the northwestern side of India, North-south direction in Mizoram, towards the southwest to the northwest direction in the Arunachal side, towards the east-west direction in the North Bengal and Sikkim, and Nagaland and Manipur region
  • The Himalayan mountains from Northeast to Nepal are filled with lush, thick green forest, but the forest cover decreases west from Nepal following the general pattern of rainfall which reduces east to west

The following points explain the three ranges of Himalayas:

1. Himadri or Greater Himalayas

  • The northernmost range of the Himalayas is known as Himadri or Greater Himalayas
  • The Greater Himalayas cover 2400 km. from west to east with a width of about 120-190 km
  • The average height of the mountains is 6000 m
  • Himadri or Greater Himalayas are the most continuous range containing all the prominent Himalayan peaks and the loftiest peaks. The core of Himadri or Greater Himalayas is made of granite
  • Several glaciers descend from this range, and they are perennially snowbound
  • The highest peak in the world is Mount Everest (8850 m.) is part of the Greater Himalayas, and some of the other significant peaks of this mountain range are Mt. Dhaulagiri (8172 m.), Mt. Makalu (8481 m.), and Mt. Kanchenjunga (8586 m.)
  • Annapurna, Nanga Parbat, and Kamet are the Other prominent ranges
  • The Yamuna and the Ganga rivers originate from this Himalaya

2. Himachal or the Lesser Himalayas

  • Himachal or Middle Himalayas or Lesser Himalayas is the middle section of the vast Himalaya Mountain Range. The range runs between the Shivalik range to the southeast and the Great Himalayas to the northeast.  The average width is 50 km, and the average height of these mountains is 3700 – 4500 m
  • Himachal or Middle Himalayas extends to 2,400 km. Northeast to the southeast on the northern limit of the Indian subcontinent. Areas included are Ladakh, UTs of Kashmir, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Indian Himachal, Nepal, and Bhutan
  • Mahabharat, Dhauladhar, Pirpangal, Nag Tibba are some of the prominent ranges of the Middle Himalayas
  • The Middle Himalayas are famous for their valleys like Kangra, Kashmir, Kulu, etc
  • The most famous hill stations in the Middle Himalayas are Nainital, Darjeeling, Ranikhet, Shimla, etc

3. The Outer Himalayas or Shivalik

  • The southernmost hills of the Himalayas are the Shivalik ranges.   It is separated from the Lesser Himalayas by flat bottomed valleys. “Upgiri” was the ancient name of this range
  • The Outer Himalayas make about a continuous chain of more than 2400 km. from the Indus gorge in the northwest to the Brahmaputra in Assam
  • The height seldom exceeds 1300 m, and The width of Shivaliks is 10-50 km
  • In Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, the southern slopes of the Shivalik ranges lack forest cover. These slopes are extremely dissected by Chaos, which is the seasonal stream
  • Many longitudinal valleys exist between the Himachal and Shivaliks, parallel to the mountains known as ‘Duns.’ like Patli Dun, Kotli Dun, Dehradun

Formation of ‘duars’ and ‘duns’ in Shivalik Hills

  • The accumulation made by Shivalik Hills of conglomerates (debris, gravel, silt, sand, etc.). In the primary stages of deposition, these conglomerates blocked the courses of the rivers running from the higher reaches of the Himalayas and created temporary lakes
  • As time passed, these temporary lakes assembled more and more conglomerates. The conglomerates were well set at the bottom of the lakes
  • When the rivers could cut their courses through the lakes composed of conglomerate deposits, the lakes were drained away, leaving plains behind, ‘doons’ or ‘duns’ in the west and ‘duars’ in the east

Subdivision of Himalayas

Based on the alignment of relief, ranges, and similar geomorphological characteristics, the Himalayas are divided into subdivisions.

  • Kashmir or North-western Himalayas
  • Uttaranchal Himalayas and Himachal
  • Sikkim Himalayas and Darjeeling
  • Arunachal Himalayas
  • Eastern Hills and Mountains

Kashmir or Northwestern Himalayas:

  • Zaskar, Karakoram, Pir Panjal, Ladakh, and Dhaola Dhar are the main ranges of the section
  • The Kashmir Himalayas’ northeastern region is a cold desert between the Karakoram ranges and the Greater Himalayas. The northern slopes are bare, gentler, and show plains with lakes, while the southern slopes are rugged, steep, and forested. Baltoro glacier and Siachen are part of Kashmir Himalaya
  • The famous Dal Lake and The world-famous valley of Kashmir are located between the Pir Panjal range and the Great Himalayas.  It is also well-known for its formations of Karewa, which help grow a local variety of saffron, Zafran
  • The region also consists of some of the most important freshwater and brackish water lakes such as Dal ,Wular, Tso Moriri, and Pangong Tso
  • Famous pilgrimage sites such as Charare-Sharif, Amarnath Cave, Vaishno Devi, and others are also located here, and several pilgrims visit the sites every year.  Baralacha la, Rohtang, Zojila, and ShipkiLa are important passes.  This area has the great valleys of Kangra, Kullu, Spiti, and Lahaul.   It is also home to Dal lake and the beautiful Kashmir Valley.
  • The Dal lake presents an exciting and unique physical feature

Uttaranchal Himalayas and The Himachal:

  • This region is roughly situated between the Kali (a tributary of Ghagra) in the east and the Ravi in the west and is drained by two of India’s major river systems, the Ganga and the Indus
  • The rivers Satluj, Beas, and Ravi (tributaries of Indus), Ghaghara (tributaries of Ganga), and the Yamuna flow through the area
  • The three Himalayan Ranges – the Shiwalik range from north to south, Nagtibha in Uttarakhand), the Lesser Himalayas (locally known as Dhauladhar in Himachal Pradesh, and the Great Himalaya are very prominent in the section
  • The masses of the people who reside in the valleys of the Himalayan Mountains ranges are the Bhotias. The Bhotias are nomadic groups that migrate to ‘Bugyals’ (summer grasslands in the higher reaches) in summer and return to the valleys in the winter season
  • The Valley of Flowers is located in the region as well.  This region is famous for the creation of Duns. Dehradun is the most famous and most significant dun in the region
  • The region is also well-known for its five famous Prayag. The places of pilgrimage like Hemkund Sahib, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri are situated in this region

Sikkim Himalayas and The Darjiling:  

  • They are surrounded to the east by the Bhutan Himalayas and to the west by the Nepal Himalayas
  • This Himalaya is esteemed for its high mountain peaks such as Kanchenjunga (Kanchan Giri) and its fast-flowing rivers such as Tista and deep valleys
  • The higher reaches of this region are populated by Lepcha tribes, in contrast to the southern portion, especially the Darjeeling Himalayas, which is inhabited by a mix of central Indian Tribes, Bengalis, and Nepalis. Instead of Shiwaliks, the ‘duar formations’ are prominent here and have also been used for growing tea gardens
  • This region is also notable for its rich flora and fauna, scenic beauty, and  different types of orchids

The Arunachal Himalayas: 

  • The Arunachal Himalayas run from the east of the Bhutan Himalayas to the Diphu pass in the east from southwest to northeast direction. Namcha Barwa and Kangtu are the major mountain peaks of the region
  • The fast-flowing rivers from the north to the south cut up this region and created deep gorges.  E.g.: Brahmaputra runs through a deep Valley after dissecting Namcha Barwa. Lohit, Dibang, Dihang, Subansiri, and Kameng are some of the most prominent rivers of the region
  • These rivers have the potential for hydroelectric power because of their perpetual flow with the high fall rate.  Several ethnic tribal groups, including the Nagas, Nyishi, Mishmi, Abor, and Monpa, reside in these areas from the west direction to the east
  • Jhumming, which is known as slash and burn or shifting cultivation, is practised by most of these communities

The Eastern mountain and Hills:

  • The Eastern mountain and Hills are part of the Himalayan mountain Range system and established from the north to the south
  • They are known as the Manipur hills, Naga hills, Patkai Bum, In the north and the south as Lushai hills or Mizo. The Eastern mountain and Hills region is also populated by several tribal groups that practice Jhum cultivation
  • Several small rivers estranged the generality of these ranges. The Barak River (a tributary of Meghna) is prime in Mizoram and Manipur
  • Manipur’s physiography is distinguished by the  ‘Loktak’ lake, which is engulfed by mountains from all sides. Mizoram, also called the ‘Molasses basin,’ is made of soft nonviscous deposits

Prominent Mountain Passes in the Himalayas Ranges

  • Jelep La Pass: It is a high mountain pass between India and Tibet in Sikkim. The pass connects Lhasa (Tibet) to India
  • Karakoram Pass: The Karakoram Pass is between China and India and is situated in the Karakoram Range
  • Mana Pass: One of the mountain passes in the Himalayas in Uttarakhand state. It is on the border between Tibet and India
  • Shipki La Pass: It is situated on the border post on the IndiaTibet border and in Himachal Pradesh. The river Satluj spears India from Tibet via this pass
  • Rohtang Pass: It joins the Spiti valleys of Himachal Pradesh and the Kullu valley with Lahaul. Manali-Leh Highway, a part of NH 21, passes over Rohtang Pass
  • Banihal Pass: This mountain pass splits the south and the Kashmir Valley in the Indian UT of Jammu and Kashmir from the Outer Himalayas
  • Nathu La Pass: It attaches China’s Tibet Autonomous Region with the Indian state of Sikkim. This pass is of strategic prominence in Indo-China relations
  • The Atal tunnel, the world’s longest highway tunnel (9.02 km) above 3,000 metres, was recently made in Rohtang. It joins Spiti district and Solang Valley in the Manali district to Sissu in the Lahaul

The Trans-Himalayan Mountains 

  • The Trans Himalayas are the ranges that run immediately to the north of the Great Himalayan Ranges
  • It consists of the mountain ranges of Kailash, Ladakh, Zanskar, and Karakoram ranges
  • It is also known as the Tibet Himalayas because most of it is located in Tibet
  • It runs about 1000 km. from east to west with an average height of about 3000 m

Karakoram Range

  • These ranges create India’s frontier with China and Afghanistan. Karakoram Range is the northernmost range in the TransHimalayan Mountains
  • The average width of the Karakoram range is 120 – 140 km. The majority of the peaks hardly ever fall below 5,500 m. The height of some of the mountains is more than 8,000 m above sea level
  • The second highest peak in the world is mount K2.. It is also called Godwin Austen

Ladakh Range 

Ladakh Range of the Trans Himalayan Ranges is located north of Leh.  The Ladakh Plateau is located to the northeast of the Karakoram Ranges. It is split up into several mountains and plains. It is the highest plateau of the Indian Union and has many tables like Aksai Chin and Soda plains.  This range is amalgamated with the Kailash range in Tibet. 

Zanskar Range

Zanskar Range of Trans Himalayas is located in Indian Ladakh.  The average height of the Zanskar Range is about 6000 m.  This range splits up Zanskar from Ladakh.

Kailash Mountain Range

Kailash range is one of the most complex and highest parts of the Trans Himalayas. It is situated in the southwestern part of Tibet, and it is a leading holy site for both Buddhists and Hindus. It is also the emerging point of the Indus river.

Conclusion

The Himalayas are found across the northeastern portion of India.They cover approximately distance of 1,500 mi (2,400 km) and pass through India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Bhutan and Nepal.Most common type of mountains present in the world are the Fold  mountains .The Himalayas consist of parallel mountain ranges such as the Shivalik Hills on the south; the Lower Himalayan Range; the Great Himalayas, is the highest range; and the Tibetan Himalayas on the north.

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