Western Ghats

The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri, are a massive mountain range along India's western coast.

This range forms an almost continuous chain of mountains. It follows the edge of the Deccan Plateau. The mountains stretch from the Tapti River in the north to Swamithoppe in the south.

They pass through six Indian states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The range eventually meets the Eastern Ghats at the Nilgiris. The name "Ghat" is used in the Indian subcontinent to describe mountain ranges or steps leading to water. In Sanskrit, the name Sahyadri means "benevolent" or "tolerant" mountain.

Geologically, the Western Ghats are the faulted and eroded edge of the Deccan Plateau. They formed during the break-up of the supercontinent Gondwana. This happened during the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods. At that time, India separated from the African continent. The Deccan Plateau was formed by basalt rocks. This volcanic activity caused the western side to rise. Several faults helped create the mountains. These faults left behind valleys and river gorges. The mountains have three main gaps. The Goa Gap formed 65–80 million years ago. The Palghat Gap is the oldest and widest. The Shencottah Gap is the southernmost and narrowest.

The topography of the range varies by section. The northern section has elevations between 600 and 1,200 meters. The middle section starts south of Goa. This area has a lower elevation of less than 600 meters. In the southern section, the altitude rises again. Many peaks rise above 2,000 meters. Anamudi is the highest peak at 2,695 meters. The average elevation for the whole range is about 900 meters.

The mountains create steep western slopes facing the Arabian Sea. The eastern slopes are more "chiselled" or shaped by erosion. This is because the Deccan Plateau is higher on the west.

The Western Ghats act as a major watershed for India. They feed many perennial river systems. These rivers drain almost 40% of India's total land area. Major river systems like the Godavari, Kaveri, and Krishna originate here. Because of the steep gradient, most rivers flow east toward the Bay of Bengal. Many smaller streams also flow through the region. These streams often carry huge volumes of water during the monsoon. The rivers have been dammed for irrigation and hydroelectric power. These dams create large reservoirs across the mountains.

This mountain range is vital for India's climate. It controls the monsoon seasons. During April and May, heat builds up on the land. This draws moist air from the Arabian Sea toward the east. The Western Ghats block these rain-bearing winds. As the air rises over the mountains, it cools. This causes orographic precipitation, which is rain caused by rising air.

This brings heavy rain to the western coast in June. However, the air becomes dry once it passes the peaks. This creates a rain shadow region. The leeward side of the mountains receives very little rainfall.

The Western Ghats is a recognized biodiversity hotspot. It contains nearly 30% of all species found in India. Many of these are endemic, meaning they live nowhere else.

There are 7,402 species of flowering plants in the region. Of these, 1,273 species are exclusively confined to the Western Ghats. The mountains also feature Sholas. These are unique, stunted tropical montane forests found in valleys. The region is home to at least 325 globally threatened species. Because of this importance, UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site in 2012.

Animal life in the Ghats is incredibly diverse. The region has one of the highest tiger populations, with 985 estimated in 2022.

It also holds the largest wild Indian elephant population, with about 11,000 individuals. Other mammals include the lion-tailed macaque and the Nilgiri tahr. The Nilgiri tahr is an endemic species that has recovered to 3,122 individuals.

Many birds and reptiles are also unique to this area. For example, the Bicolored frog is an endemic species. The mountains remain a critical system for global nature conservation.