NDA Geography · Indian Geography — Physical Features
Mountains, Plateaus and Plains of India
India is built of four great physiographic divisions — the young folded Himalayas in the north, the flat alluvial Northern Plains, the old rigid Peninsular Plateau fringed by the Ghats, and the narrow Coastal Plains by the sea.
Why this matters
7 PYQs and the natural starting point for the whole chapter — the map of India's relief. The marks come from (1) the Himalayan ranges and which pass sits in which range, (2) the alluvial belts of the Northern Plains (Bhabar, Tarai, Bhangar, Khadar), and (3) the features and peaks of the Peninsular Plateau and the Ghats. Memorise the north-to-south layout once and these stop being guesses.
Concept 1 of 5
The four physiographic divisions
Intuition
Walk India from the Himalayas down to the sea and you cross four very different kinds of land in order. First the Himalayas — tall, young, folded mountains. Then the Northern Plains — dead flat, built from river-deposited alluvium. Then the Peninsular Plateau — an old, rigid, raised block of hard rock edged by the Ghats. Finally the Coastal Plains — a thin strip at the shore. Knowing this north-to-south order is the spine everything else hangs on.
Definition
North to south:
- The Himalayas — young fold mountains, raised by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates; the highest and most rugged relief.
- The Northern Plains — a flat, low belt of alluvium laid down by the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra.
- The Peninsular Plateau — an ancient, stable, rigid block of denuded rocks and scarps, India's oldest landmass, edged by the Western and Eastern Ghats.
- The Coastal Plains — narrow lowlands along the east and west coasts.
Worked example
Rigid and stable elevated land, denuded rocks and a series of scarps — which physiographic division of India is being described?
- Rigid, stable and old points to the ancient block, not the young mountains or the flat plains.
- Denuded rocks and scarps are the signature of a worn-down plateau surface.
- That is the Peninsular Plateau.
Answer:The Peninsular Plateau.
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
Try it yourself
Which division is a flat belt built almost entirely from river-deposited alluvium?
Practice — Level 1 (3 reps)
Quick reps to lock in the method. Try each, then check.
- 1.Name India's four physiographic divisions, north to south.
- 2.Which division is the oldest, most rigid landmass?
- 3.Which division is built of river alluvium?
From the bank · past-year question
In India, rigid and stable elevated lands, denuded rocks and series of scarps are the features of which of the following?
[Q136 · Apr · 2022]
Concept 2 of 5
The Himalayan ranges, north to south
Intuition
The Himalayas are not one wall but several parallel ranges that step DOWN as you move south. Northernmost and highest are the Trans-Himalayas (Karakoram, Ladakh). Then the Greater Himalayas (Himadri) with the great snow peaks, then the Lesser Himalayas (Himachal), then the low outermost Shiwaliks. Glacial landforms — moraines, eskers, outwash plains — belong to the cold, high northern ranges (so a question pointing you there points to Ladakh).
Definition
North → south, highest → lowest:
- Trans-Himalayas — Karakoram and Ladakh ranges; the highest, beyond the main axis.
- Greater Himalayas (Himadri) — the snow-capped backbone with the loftiest peaks.
- Lesser Himalayas (Himachal) — includes the Pir Panjal range.
- Shiwaliks — the low, outermost foothills.
Because these are glaciated high mountains, moraines, eskers and outwash plains (glacial-deposit landforms) are seen in the cold north — e.g. the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Worked example
To observe moraines, eskers and outwash plains, which Union Territory should you visit — Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Puducherry or Ladakh?
- Moraines, eskers and outwash plains are glacial-deposition landforms, made by ice.
- The island and southern UTs are warm and never glaciated.
- Only Ladakh, high and cold in the Trans-Himalayas, has glaciers.
Answer:Ladakh.
Practice this concept3 quick reps
Practice — Level 1 (3 reps)
Quick reps to lock in the method. Try each, then check.
- 1.Name the Himalayan ranges from north to south.
- 2.Which range is the highest, northernmost belt?
- 3.Glacial landforms in India are seen in which UT?
From the bank · past-year question
If you want to observe moraines, eskers and outwash plains, which one of the following Union Territories you may have to visit?
[Q140 · Apr · 2022]
Concept 3 of 5
Himalayan passes and their ranges/states
Intuition
A pass is a gap that lets you cross a range. The NDA tests two things: which RANGE a pass cuts through, and which STATE/UT it lies in. Anchor the famous ones — Zoji La and Photu La in Ladakh region, Banihal in the Pir Panjal, Khardung La in the Karakoram, Bomdi La and Bum La in Arunachal Pradesh.
Definition
Pass → range/location:
- Zoji La — Great Himalayas (Ladakh route).
- Banihal Pass — Pir Panjal range (links Jammu to the Kashmir Valley).
- Khardung La — Karakoram range (Ladakh).
- Photu La — Zanskar/Ladakh range.
- Arunachal Pradesh passes — Bomdi La, Bum La, Yonggyap, Kumjawng, Diphu, Hpungan. Muling La is NOT in Arunachal (it is in the Sikkim/Tibet area).
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
Try it yourself
Which one is NOT a pass of Arunachal Pradesh: Kumjawng, Yonggyap, Muling La, Bomdi La?
Practice — Level 1 (3 reps)
Quick reps to lock in the method. Try each, then check.
- 1.Banihal Pass cuts through which range?
- 2.Khardung La lies in which range?
- 3.Name a pass of Arunachal Pradesh.
From the bank · past-year question
Which one of the following is a pass of Arunachal Pradesh?
[Q117 · Apr · 2026]
Match the pass to the right range AND state
The classic trap pairs a real pass with the wrong range. Lock Banihal → Pir Panjal, Khardung La → Karakoram, Zoji La → Great Himalayas. And Muling La is NOT in Arunachal — it is the odd one out in an Arunachal-passes list.
Concept 4 of 5
The alluvial belts of the Northern Plains
Intuition
The Northern Plains are sorted into belts running parallel to the foothills. Right below the Shiwaliks, fast streams dump heavy boulders into the porous Bhabar; just south the water re-emerges to make the marshy Tarai. Farther out, the plains divide into Bhangar (old, higher alluvium) and Khadar (new, flood-renewed alluvium).
Definition
From the foothills outward:
- Bhabar — a narrow porous belt just south of the Shiwaliks where streams deposit heavy boulders and gravel; rivers sink underground here.
- Tarai — the marshy, re-emergent belt just south of the Bhabar.
- Bhangar — older alluvium, on higher ground, away from active floods.
- Khadar — newer alluvium in the floodplain, renewed by every flood (the most fertile).
| Belt | What it is |
|---|---|
| Bhabar | Porous boulder/gravel belt below the Shiwaliks; rivers go undergroundQ NDA 2023 — the belt where rivers deposit rocks and boulders is the Bhabar. |
| Tarai | Marshy, re-emergent belt south of the Bhabar |
| Bhangar | Old, higher alluvium |
| Khadar | New floodplain alluvium (most fertile) |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
Try it yourself
Which narrow belt parallel to the Shiwalik foothills is where streams deposit heavy boulders and rocks?
Practice — Level 1 (3 reps)
Quick reps to lock in the method. Try each, then check.
- 1.Which belt is the porous boulder zone below the Shiwaliks?
- 2.Old, higher alluvium is called?
- 3.New flood-renewed alluvium is called?
From the bank · past-year question
Which one of the following is the narrow belt parallel to the Shiwalik foothills where streams and rivers coming from the mountains deposit heavy materials of rocks and boulders?
[Q106 · Sep · 2023]
Bhabar vs Tarai
Both sit at the foot of the Shiwaliks, but Bhabar is the upper, porous, dry boulder belt where rivers SINK; Tarai is the lower, marshy belt just south of it where the water RE-EMERGES. The 'rocks and boulders' clue is always Bhabar.
Concept 5 of 5
The Peninsular Plateau and the Ghats
Intuition
The Peninsular Plateau is fringed by two hill ranges: the continuous Western Ghats and the broken Eastern Ghats. In the far south, near the Nilgiri Hills, the two Ghats meet. The plateau's peaks and the placing of named hills are the recall targets — e.g. Mahendragiri (the highest Eastern Ghats peak) is in Odisha, and the Cardamom Hills are a southern extension of the WESTERN Ghats.
Definition
- Western Ghats — continuous, higher, run parallel to the west coast; the Nilgiris and the southern hills (Anaimalai, Cardamom) belong to this system.
- Eastern Ghats — discontinuous, lower, broken by rivers; Mahendragiri in Odisha is its highest peak.
- Nilgiri Hills — where the Western and Eastern Ghats MEET, the southern hinge of the Peninsular Plateau.
- Cardamom Hills — a continuation of the Western Ghats (NOT the Eastern Ghats — a common trap).
| Feature | Fact |
|---|---|
| Mahendragiri | Highest peak of the Eastern Ghats — in OdishaQ NDA 2025 — Mahendragiri is in Odisha. |
| Nilgiri Hills | Where the Eastern and Western Ghats meet (southern point of the plateau)Q NDA 2023 — statement 1 (Ghats meet at the Nilgiris) is correct; the Cardamom Hills are NOT an Eastern-Ghats continuation. |
| Cardamom Hills | Southern continuation of the WESTERN Ghats |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
Try it yourself
Mahendragiri, the highest peak of the Eastern Ghats, is in which state?
Practice — Level 1 (3 reps)
Quick reps to lock in the method. Try each, then check.
- 1.Highest peak of the Eastern Ghats?
- 2.Where do the Eastern and Western Ghats meet?
- 3.The Cardamom Hills continue which Ghats?
From the bank · past-year question
Mahendragiri, the highest peak of the Eastern Ghats, is located in which one of the following states?
[Q94 · Apr · 2025]
Cardamom Hills are WESTERN, not Eastern
A two-statement question pairs 'the Ghats meet at the Nilgiris' (true) with 'the Cardamom Hills continue the Eastern Ghats' (FALSE — they continue the Western Ghats). Only the first statement is correct.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
The alluvial belts of the Northern Plains4 rows
| Belt | What it is |
|---|---|
| Bhabar | Porous boulder/gravel belt below the Shiwaliks; rivers go undergroundQ NDA 2023 — the belt where rivers deposit rocks and boulders is the Bhabar. |
| Tarai | Marshy, re-emergent belt south of the Bhabar |
| Bhangar | Old, higher alluvium |
| Khadar | New floodplain alluvium (most fertile) |
The Peninsular Plateau and the Ghats3 rows
| Feature | Fact |
|---|---|
| Mahendragiri | Highest peak of the Eastern Ghats — in OdishaQ NDA 2025 — Mahendragiri is in Odisha. |
| Nilgiri Hills | Where the Eastern and Western Ghats meet (southern point of the plateau)Q NDA 2023 — statement 1 (Ghats meet at the Nilgiris) is correct; the Cardamom Hills are NOT an Eastern-Ghats continuation. |
| Cardamom Hills | Southern continuation of the WESTERN Ghats |
Watch out for (3)
- Match the pass to the right range AND state→ Himalayan passes and their ranges/states
- Bhabar vs Tarai→ The alluvial belts of the Northern Plains
- Cardamom Hills are WESTERN, not Eastern→ The Peninsular Plateau and the Ghats
Mastery check — 2 interleaved questions
Try each one before clicking. Questions are interleaved across the concepts above, not grouped — interleaving sharpens transfer.
Which of the following pairs of Himalayan Passes and the Ranges in which they are located is/are correctly matched ?
1. Zoji La — Great Himalayas
2. Banihal Pass — Pir Panjal Range
3. Photu La — Ladakh Range
4. Khardung La — Karakoram Range
Select the answer using the code given below :
[Q105 · Sep · 2024]
Consider the following statements about physical features of India:
1. The southern point of the Peninsular Plateau is formed by the Nilgiri Hills where the Eastern and the Western Ghats meet
2. The Cardamom Hills may be regarded as a continuation of the Eastern Ghats
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[Q105 · Sep · 2023]
Drill every past-year question on this subtopic
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