Eastern Ghats

Definition

The discontinuous, eroded hill ranges along the eastern edge of the Peninsular plateau, running roughly parallel to India's east coast and broken by the major east-flowing rivers.

Key points

• Run along the eastern margin of the Deccan plateau from Odisha through Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and into Tamil Nadu, parallel to the Bay of Bengal coast.
• Discontinuous and irregular, lower than the Western Ghats, and cut through by big east-flowing rivers (Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri) on their way to the sea.
• Average elevation is modest (mostly 600 metres or less); the highest peaks are in the Andhra-Odisha section, where Arma Konda (in Andhra Pradesh) is the highest point.
• They meet the Western Ghats in the Nilgiri Hills in the south, the junction where the two Ghats converge.
• The Eastern Ghats are older and far more eroded than the Western Ghats, with poorer soils and less rainfall on the whole.

Why it matters for CAPF

The discontinuous low nature, the contrast with the higher continuous Western Ghats, the rivers that break them, the highest point, and the Nilgiri junction are recurring physiography facts.

Common confusion

The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous, lower, and eroded; the Western Ghats are continuous, higher, and steeper. The two meet at the Nilgiri Hills. The east-flowing rivers cut through the Eastern Ghats, which is why they are broken.

Parent note

india physiography