The Western Ghats constitute the beautiful array of mountains along the western coast of India that separates the Deccan Plateau from a narrow coastal strip along the Arabian Sea. It is a `virtual` mountain range in the sense that it is a fractured extension of the Deccan Plateau probably formed during the break up of the super continent Gondwana. The range starts from the southern part of the Tapti River near the border area of Gujarat and Maharashtra . It covers a length of around 1600 km running through the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala finally culminating at Kanyakumari, in the southern-most tip of the Indian peninsula. Covering an area of 60,000 sq. kilometres they form the catchment area for a large number of rivers draining almost 40% of the Indian sub-continent.

Mountains, Gaps and Passes
The Western Ghats have an average elevation of 1200 metres. However, in certain places they rise abruptly to a height of over 2440 metres. The Western Ghats of Maharashtra, extending from the Satpura Range to the north, travels south past Goa to Karnataka. The chief hill range of the segment is the Sayadhri range. Here we have two high peaks, Kalsubai, having a height of 1646 metres and Salher having a height of 1567 metres.The Western Ghats are home to a number of gaps and passes, notable among them being the Thal Ghat and the Bhor Ghat. They link the interior of the Deccan with Mumbai. The southern part of the Western Ghats harbour the Nilgiri hills (the word Nilgiri meaning "Blue Mountains" ) which serve as the meeting point o the Western and Eastern Ghats. The Nilgiris show a steep rise from the plains and enclose between them the Karnatak Plateau. The Nilgiri Hills are fhome to two of the highest peaks of the Western Ghats : Dodabetta, having a height of 2637 metres and Makurti, having a height of 2554 metres. To the south of the Nilgiri Hills is located the Palghat gap, extending from the east to the west of the Ghats. With a width of 24 km , the Palghat gap is an easy passageway across the Western Ghats.To the south of the Nilgiris are the Anaimalai, Cardamom and Palni hills. The Anaimudi is the highest peak in Peninsular India. It is situated in the Anaimalai hills and has a height of 2695 metres.

The narrow coastal plain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is known as the Konkan Coast in the north and the Malabar Coast in the south. The largest city amidst these mountains is Pune.

Climate and Rainfall
The lower parts of the Western Ghats record humid and tropical type of climate. The elevated regions (1,500 m and above in the north and 2,000 m and above in the south) have a more temperate climate. Mean temperature varies from 24 °C in the north to 20 °C in the south . In the Western Ghats the climate is largely modified by the winds as they play a major role in the seasonal cycle. In summer they are responsible for ushering the monsoons while in the winter these winds provide a soothing effect. During the monsoon season between June and September, the path of the heavy, eastward-moving rain-bearing clouds is intercepted by the Western Ghats. This results in more rain on the windward side, an average of about 3,000 to 4,000 mm with occasional extremes of 9,000 mm. On the other hand the eastern region of the Western Ghats, which is the rain-shadow region, records a meagre average of 1000 mm . The Coromandel Coast falls in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats, and receives a good deal less rainfall during the summer southwest monsoon, which contributes heavily to rainfall in the rest of India.

The drainage system
The drainage system of the Western Ghats constitute the perennial rivers of peninsular India. Westward flowing rivers like the Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri drain into the Arabian Sea. Rivers like the Mandovi, Zuari, and Periyar that flow eastwards drain into the Bay of Bengal. Many of these rivers feed the backwaters of Kerala and Maharashtra. Rivers of the Ghats. The Chittar River, Bhima River, Malaprabha River, Manimuthar River, Kabini River, Kallayi River, Kundali River, Pachaiyar River, Pennar River, and the Tambaraparani River are other comparatively smaller rivers. Notable river dams in the Western Ghats include the Koyna Dam in Maharashtra, the Parambikulam Dam in Kerala, and the Linganmakki Dam in Karnataka .

hotspot. vegetation and wildlife The Western Ghats is one of the most cherished ecological destinations . The major ecosystems of the Western Ghats include the following: the tropical wet evergreen forests in Amboli and Radhanagari, the Montane evergreen forests in Mahabaleshwar and Bhimashanker, the moist deciduous forests in Mulsi and the scrub forests in Mundunthurai . The vegetation all along the Ghats offers much variety ranging from scrub jungles, grassland along the lower altitudes, dry and moist deciduous forests, to semi-evergreen and evergreen forests. There are two main centres of diversity, the Agashyamalai hills and the Silent Valley. The multifaceted landscape and the heavy rainfall have made certain areas unreachable and have facilitated in retaining the diversity of the region.Almost one-third of all the flowering plant species in India are found in this region. Of the 450 plants found in this region, 40% are more dominant because they have been totally acclimatised to the climate. The wildlife provides an equal diversity . The Nilgiri biodiversity reserve, the only biodiversity reserve in the Western Ghats, promotes conservation of endemic and endangered species. A few of the aboriginal and exotic tree and plant species in the Western Ghats are the teak, jamun, cashew, hog plum, coral tree, jasmine, and crossandra. In the Western Ghats , some national parks have also been built. The Borivali national park (in Maharahshtra near Mumbai ) and the Nagarhole national park harbours many kinds of birds while the Bandipur national park is home to many tigers , leopards , sloth bears , barking deer and mouse deer . The Anamalai wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu has evergreen forests and tall temperate grasslands. It has animals like The Nilgiri languar, the rare lion-tailed macaque, spotted deer, and the giant squirrel and birds like racket tailed drongos, hornbills, fairy bluebirds. The famous Periyar national park in Kerala harbours a large number of elephants, gaur, sambhar, lion-tailed macaque and a variety of birds. As is the case for many ecosystems modernisation has taken its toll on this region. This has led to the extinction of many species and more are in danger of becoming extinct.

THE EASTERN GHATS OF INDIA The Eastern Ghats are a series of discontinuous low ranges along the Bay of Bengal coast running from the Mahanadi river valley for about 500 metres up to the Nilgiris in the south and forms the eastern edge of the dissected Deccan plateau .The Eastern Ghats start from the state of West Bengal in the north and culminates in the state of Tamil Nadu in the south. On the way they cover the states of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh . They are swept by the four chief rivers of southern India, the Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri . The Eastern Ghats are cut into various discontinuous hills by these rivers. They are separated from the Bay of Bengal by the coastal plains .

The elevation of the Eastern Ghats is lower than that of the Western Ghats . They have an average height of 450 metres and rarely exceed 1200 metres. To the southernmost part of the Eastern Ghats are the low Sirumalai and Karanthamalai hills of southern Tamil Nadu. To the north of the Kaveri river are comparatively higher hills like Kollimalai, Pachaimalai, Shevaroy (Servaroyan), Kalrayan Hills, Chitteri, Palamalai, and Mettur hills in the north of Tamil Nadu. The higher hill ranges experience a generally cooler and wetter type of climate than the surrounding plains. These hills harbour many coffee plantations and dry forests. The hill station of Yercaud is located in the Shevaroy Hills. In the Bilgiri Hills, which run east from the Western Ghats to the Kaveri river, there is a wooded ecological strip that connects the Eastern and Western Ghats . This region has the second-largest wild elephant population in India . The Ponnaiyar and Palar rivers flowing through gaps in the Ghats drain into the Bay of Bengal .These two rivers are separated by the Javadhu Hills . Some isolated areas have waterfalls. The Kiliyur Falls is one of them .To the north of the Palar River in Andhra Pradesh, the central portion of the Eastern Ghats consist of two parallel ranges running approximately north-south; the lower Velikonda Range lies to the east, and the higher Palikonda-Lankamalla-Nallamalla ranges lie to the west. The Velikonda range ultimately descends to the coastal plains in the northern Nellore district, while the Nallamalla range continue to the Krishna River. The Krishna and the Godavari are separated by a range of low hills. To the north of the Godavari river the Eastern Ghats record an abrupt increase in height , acting as the boundary between Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.The region possesses fertile soil.The Eastern Ghats are elder than the Western Ghats. The history of its origin is much complicated and takes off from the congregation and fragmentation of the ancient supercontinent of Rodinia and the assembly of the Gondwana supercontinent.