Western Ghats

Western Ghats refers to the mountain range that extends roughly parallel to the Western Ghats of India.

The Deccan plateau is a tilted block, which is inclined towards the east. So its western edge is high and steep. In fact it looks like a bold escarpment when looked from the low western coast. To the east beyond the crest of the Ghat it is a rolling landscape sloping gently towards the east. The northern portion of the Western Ghat is formed of basalt’s, while the southern art is crystalline. So the scenery in both the portions is different.

The northern part of the western Ghat is highest in the north. Here Kalsubai, 1646 meters high, is the highest peak. The main stream of Godavari rises from it, though the traditional source of the river is near Triambakeshwar near Nasik. Here a number of springs come out from a scrap of columnar basalt. One of them issues out from the mouth of a cow’s head made of stone. The Shivalinga in the temple of Trimbakeshwar also gives out drops of water.

The onslaught of the monsoon on the basalt scarp of the Western Ghat near Bombay produces typical land forms. This landscape is viewed nicely from Matheran, a hill station nearby. All over here one finds palisades of columnar basalt standing one above the other on platforms. At the top are found the last remnants, where they have often the form of one or two needles. At the base of each step are found talus slopes. The streams cut deep canyons in the basalt. The scenery is similar near Mahabaleshwar. Here the Savitri canyon is awe inspiring. South of Mahabaleshwar another canyon is formed by river Koyna, which runs in a longitudinal rift very near and parallel to the crest of the Western Ghat. This canyon is now drowned in the Koyna reservoir.

At Mahabaleshwar River Krishna rises from a spring issuing out from the mouth of a cow-head of stone in a temple. The area around Mahabaleshwar is fairly level. The highest point have is 1440 meters high.

Near Goa, the Western Ghat presents a formidable scarp towards the coast land of Goa. Further south the rocks are crystalline. Kalindi and other rivers here make waterfalls are they descend down the scarp. These rivers are cutting back into the plateau by Head-water erosion. Here mean Supa Ralinadi Project is being constructed. Further south is the steep scarp of Agumbe, where the abrupt scarp produces very heavy rainfall equal to nearly 1000 centimeters.

Further, south is the height part of the Western Ghat. Kudremukh peak here is 1892 meters high. The scarp is very steep and formidable along the Western border of Mercara, where Kaveri river rises at Thallakaveri. The height further increases southwards. Here the Western Ghat is called Nilgiri Hills, where the highest point is Doddabetta is 2637 meters high.

A character of the Western Ghat is the presence of comparatively lower gaps called “Ghats”. Such are the Thal Ghat and Bhor Ghat near Mumbai. The biggest Ghat, however, is the Palghat south of the Nilgiri Hills. Here the mountains nearly disappear. South of it they continue as Anaimalai hills, where the highest peak is Anai Mudi 2697 meters high. It is rather paradisaical that a gap like Palghat occurs between two highest peaks of the plateau, Doda Betta and Anai Mudi.

Further south the line of hills is called cardamom Hills. It goes nearly up to Kanyakumari, the southernmost point of India.