Question

Which among the following is the oldest mountain/hill range in India ?
1. Himalayas
2. Aravalli Hills
3. Eastern Ghats
4. Western Ghats

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : Aravalli Hills

The correct answer is Aravalli Hills.

• Aravallis:
  • They are one of the oldest fold mountains of the world.
  • Aravallis are aligned in north-east to the south-west direction and stretches through the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
  •  Aravalli is 700 kilometers-long mountain range that starts from India's western state of Gujarat.
  • The Aravalli Range is an eroded stub of ancient mountains.
  • The highest peak is Guru Shikhar which is elevated at 1,722 metres.

• Fold mountains are formed when two of Earth's tectonic plates are pushed together within the earth's upper crust.
• There are two types of fold mountains: young fold mountains and Old fold mountains e.g. of the USA.
  • Young Fold mountains:
    • They are of recent origin.
    • They are higher than the old fold mountains.
    • Examples include the Rocky Mountains, Andes and Himalayas.
  • Old fold mountains:
    • They have formed years ago.
    • They are lower than the young fold mountains.
    • These have gentle slopes.
    • The Ural Mountains, Aravali ranges and  Appalachians are examples of old fold mountains.
• The three parallel ranges of the Himalayas longitudinal extent are: 
  • Himadri (Great or Inner Himalayas):
    • The northernmost range is called the Himadri and extends for about 2400 km.
    • Mt. Everest and Mt. Kanchenjunga are a part of these ranges.
  • Himachal (Lesser Himalayas):
    • It lies to the south of Himadri. 
    • Some famous ranges are the Pir Panjal range, Dhaula Dhar and Mahabharat ranges. 
    • It has some famous valleys like Kullu, Kangra and Kashmir. 
  • Shivalik (Outer Himalayas):
    • This is the outermost range of the Himalayas. 
    • Shivaliks are known by different names in different areas such as Dafla, Miri, Abor and Mishmi Hills in Arunachal Pradesh.

• Western Ghats:
  • Western Ghats range extends from river Tapti in Maharashtra in the north to Kanyakumari in the south.
  • The Western Ghats are known as Sahyadri in northern Maharashtra, Sahya Parvatham in Kerala and Nilagiri Malai in Tamil Nadu.
  • The Western Ghats runs through six states i.e Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and two Union Territories i.e Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Pondicherry.
  • Anamudi in Kerala is the highest peak in the Western Ghats and is located on Anaimalai hills.
  • The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats are connected at Biligirirangan Hills in Karnataka.
• The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast.
  • The Eastern Ghats spread over the states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.