Mountains Western and Eastern Ghats. Western Ghats. See what "Western Ghats" is in other dictionaries

Eastern Ghats located in eastern India between Deccan plateau And Coromandel coast, which belongs to the coast of the Bay of Bengal. These mountains begin in the state Orissa, and in the south they connect with Western Ghats in the mountains Nilgiris.

View from one of the observation platforms in the settlement of Yercaud, which is located in the Eastern Ghats

In the morning I left Auroville. The road is beautiful. You drive away from the coast and low rocky hills begin to appear. When you haven’t seen the mountains for a long time, you are so happy about them! One of these hills is at my destination, but I didn’t climb to the very top. I thought about the city for a long time Thiruvanamalai and the mountain Arunachaleswar u. First, a stranger recommended this place to me, then Sergei, my pen pal, advised me not to miss it. In the end, I didn't miss it. I climbed up, but didn’t get any pleasure from the views. Halfway along the way I met a woman from Belarus who was already descending, she said that the views would not get any better, at the top there was a temple in which, after the festive rituals, it was very trashy and there were puddles of oils everywhere.

View of the city of Tiruvanamalai from Mount Arunachaleswara

View of Mount Arunachaleswara from Tiruvanamalai

Having gone downstairs, I hurried to catch the bus to Salem. The city is quite large: there are lights, shops, cafes everywhere, but as in all of India, there are unfinished junctions and overpasses, there is a lot of garbage and the feeling is that the city survived devastating military operations, has not yet been restored, but the surviving people live and are happy with what they have.

Tried to fit in catholic cathedral- it didn’t work out. I risked falling asleep on a bench outside at the station. After half an hour, the guard tried to shoo me away, then demanded 100 rupees. He gave up on all my refusals and left. After some time, I realized that all my methods to protect my body from mosquitoes were not successful, I stood up and saw a horde of blood-sucking mosquitoes flying out from under me. I walked along the pyron and found at the end of it a small, more or less clean plot of land. There he pitched a tent and fell asleep. In the morning I got ready before dawn in 18 minutes. All this time, while I was getting ready, a man was squatting in the bushes about three or four meters away. He still didn't move. Strange - I thought and left.

Decent and more beautiful views city ​​of Salem. View from the roof of one of the buildings

Salem is the starting point for visiting the mountain village Yercaud, which is famous for its plantations of coffee, oranges, jackfruit, guava, cardamom and black pepper. The forests of Yercaud are rich in sandalwood, teak, and oaks. Among the wild animals found here are bison, deer, foxes, mongooses, snakes, and squirrels. Birds include kites, sparrows and swallows. The village itself is located at 1515m above sea level.

I liked the city. Very clean and many buildings that were built by the British

Church in the settlement of Yercaud

Inside Indian churches

The coolest place is here Lady's Seat. I got here early in the morning, before the invasion of tourists, and for a long time I enjoyed the view of the local mountains and the singing of birds coming from there. In Auroville, I finished reading the book “In the Slums of India” by Louis Jacolliot, which perfectly describes all the impenetrability and wildness of these places. Mostly the Western Ghats, but these mountains too. I sat and imagined all this.

Settlement of Yercaud. Observation deck Lady's Seat

One of the streets of the Yercaud settlement

Indian woman doing laundry

As a result, I met a motorcyclist here who gave me a lift to a couple of cool places, after which I went even further south.

IN Madurai I went to see the temple Meenakshi (dedicated to Parvati - the wife of the god Shiva).

On the streets of Madurai

To get into the temple, you had to take off your shoes and hand over all your belongings to the storage room that the temple had for visitors.
My first surprise inside the temple was the cleanliness. Then one monk called me to a corner where food was being distributed. It was Pongal porridge, which is a mixture of rice and lentils, although I think they also added a little millet to it.
In general, I liked the temple. I meditated for about 40 minutes opposite some god in silence behind a column, where I could not be seen. As throughout the south, believers wear black clothes and look like sorcerers. On the forehead they make a large yellow dot, then in the center there is a smaller red dot and thus it resembles a third eye.

Meenakshi (Parvati) Temple in Madurai. This is what a typical south Indian temple looks like from the outside

Tamil Nadu temples were built by villagers as religious, social, cultural, and political centers. The building has a certain layout. Through the Gopura (main gate) in the wall you can enter the courtyard and then to the porch, mandala (hall) and the main sanctum. Worshipers move from an open space full of symbolic sculptures to a massive dark space characterized by simplicity. High walls were made to protect against raids, and all the deities of the Hindu pantheon were depicted on the Gopura, so that people of a lower caste could also pray without entering the temple. Often, all daily life is concentrated in the temple and merchants take their places.

Before leaving the temple I saw an elephant. I like these animals. Some people came up and decided to pet him. I just stood aside, watched and continued on my way...

Madurai. Winter. Dry rivers garbage A

Madurai. Winter. Dry rivers of garbage

The Sahyadri Mountains, more commonly referred to as the Western Ghats, represent a grandiose mountain range, stretching for 1600 kilometers along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau on the Hindustan Peninsula. The mountains originate on the border of two northern Indian states, one of which is Maharashtra and the other Gujarat, and end in the region southern city Kanyakumari. The highest point of these mountains, covering an area of ​​60,000 square kilometers, is the peak of Anamudi, reaching 2,695 meters above sea level.

Recognized as one of the oldest on the planet, this enormous mountain range has exceptional landforms and exhibits unique ecological and biophysical processes. The local high-mountain forests are under the constant influence of humid winds blowing from the water surface Indian Ocean. Moderating the western monsoons, rich in heavy rainfall, the mountains form one of the most pronounced examples of tropical climates on the planet.

The Western Ghats have the highest biological diversity, notable for the large number of endemic life forms. In this regard mountain range recognized as one of the most amazing places wildlife all over the globe. The evergreen rainforests here are home to 130 species of mammals, including endemics such as the spiny dormouse and Wonderoo macaque; 180 species of amphibians, two thirds of which are endemic, and 500 species of birds. More than 100 species of fish live in local reservoirs. No less interesting is the mountain flora, which includes almost 5,000 species of flowering plants.

.]] The mountains occupy 60,000 km², the average height is 1200 m. The mountains are home to more than 5,000 species of flowering plants, 139 species of mammals, 508 species of birds, 179 species of amphibians. Many species are endemic.

Geology

The Western Ghats are not a full-fledged mountain range, but represent a shifted edge of the Deccan Plateau. They were probably formed during the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana about 150 million years ago. Geophysicists Barren and Harrisson from the University defended the version that the western coast of India was formed from 100 to 80 million years ago, after it broke off from a. Soon after the breakup, the peninsular region of the Indian Plateau drifted through the area of ​​modern a (21°06′ S, 55°31′ E). Major eruptions created the Deccan Plateau, a wide basalt formation in central India. These volcanic processes led to the formation of the northern third of the Western Ghats, their dome-shaped outlines. The underlying rocks were formed more than 200 million years ago. They can be seen in some places like the Nilgiris.

Basalt is the main rock and is found at a depth of 3 km. Other rocks include harnokites, granite gneisses, khondalites, granulites, metamorphic gneisses with occasional inclusions of limestone, iron ore, dolerites and anorthosites. There are also deposits of laterites and bauxites in the southern hills.

Mountains

The Western Ghats extend from the Satpura range in the north, running south through Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The large mountain range starting in the north is Sahyadhri and has many hill stations. Among the smaller ranges are the Kardamom Hills and the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu. In the Western Ghats lies the highest point of India south of the Himalayas - Ana Mudi (2659 m).

Rivers

The Western Ghats form one of the watersheds of India. They give rise to important rivers of peninsular India flowing from west to east into the Bay of Bengal such as the Krishna, Godwari and Cauvery. Reservoirs have been built on many rivers in Maharashtra and Kerala.

Climate

The climate of the Western Ghats is humid and tropical, varying with altitude and distance from the equator. At an altitude of more than 1500 m in the north and more than 2000 m in the south, the climate is closer to temperate. Average temperature here it is +15, in some places in winter the temperature drops to 0. The coldest periods coincide with the wettest.

The mountains stop the western monsoon winds that carry rain, and therefore receive a lot of rainfall, especially on the western slopes. Dense forests also contribute to rainfall in this area. 3000-4000 mm of precipitation falls annually.

Rising above the plains as the ancient supercontinent Gondwana broke up.
Western Ghats, or Sahyadri, is a vast mountain system, stretching from north to south, from the Tapti River valley to Cape Comorin. This mountain system forms the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, which occupies almost the entire Hindustan Peninsula. The Western Ghats are separated from the Indian Ocean by a narrow strip of plains: their northern segment is called the Konkan, the central is the Canara, and the southern is the Malabar Coast.
The names of the mountains reflect not only their position in Hindustan, but also appearance: Ghats means "steps" in Sanskrit. Indeed, the western slope of the mountain range is high and steep, and it descends in steps to the coastal plains that stretch along the coast of the Arabian Sea. The stepped landscape of the mountains was the result of ancient tectonic activity, the “impact” of the tectonic plate of the Deccan Plateau on less elevated areas of the earth’s crust. The process lasted for millions of years at different speeds. The Western Ghats are not a mountain range in the true sense, but the shifted edge of the Deccan basalt plateau. These movements occurred 150 million years ago, when the proto-continent Gondwana was breaking up. Therefore, the northern section of the Western Ghats is composed of a layer of basalt up to 2 km thick, and in the south less significant layers of gneiss and a variety of granite - charnockite - predominate.
The highest peak of the Western Ghats - Mount Ana Mudi - is also the highest point in India south of the Himalayas.
In contrast to the monolithic ridges of the north, the south is dominated by individual massifs scattered here and there with irregularly contoured peaks.
The eastern slope of the Western Ghats are gently sloping plains descending towards the interior regions of Hindustan.
The Western Ghats are the most important watershed of India: here are the sources of the rivers flowing from west to east and emptying into the Bay of Bengal - Krishna, Godavari and Kaveri, and from east to west - Karaman.
The Western Ghats play a decisive role in shaping the climate of the entire Hindustan Peninsula, preventing the movement of humid air masses from the Arabian Sea brought western monsoons. If in the west of the mountains almost 5 thousand mm of precipitation falls per year, then in the east it is five times less. Therefore, the steep western slopes of the mountains are covered with tropical rainforests (almost all cut down for firewood and for plantations), and the flatter and drier eastern slopes are covered with vast shrouds, where individual candelabra-shaped spurges, acacias and deleb palms stand among the grass.
Communication between people living on both sides of the Western Ghats is facilitated by transverse tectonic valleys separating the mountains. They became a kind of roads that connected the Malabar coast and the Deccan plateau.
For the same reason, the Western Ghats have always attracted invaders who wanted to occupy these few trade routes from the sea inland. The mountains witnessed the emergence of the largest Indian empires and were part of British colonial India. Nowadays they are located on the territory of almost a dozen Indian states.
The Western Ghats have a surprisingly diverse fauna, with many species of flora being endemic.
There is a clear difference in the population composition on both sides of the Western Ghats. The indigenous people of the Western Slopes are small tribal groups who speak many languages ​​but are united by common traditions and religions. Here they worship the spirits of ancestors, poisonous snakes, and buffaloes. The main tribes are Konkani and Tuluva.
Unlike many other geographical areas of India, the Western Ghats are not as developed advanced technologies and tourism. They mainly engage in agriculture, growing so-called “English” vegetables and fruits, cultivated since the time of the British colonial East India Company: potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and fruits - pears, plums and strawberries. The British heritage also includes the production of hard cheeses.
But the most great wealth Western Ghats - tea: terraces with rows of tea bushes were made back in late XIX V. under the leadership of the British East India Company. After the British left, the plantations were preserved, and today India is the second country in the world in terms of tea production after China.
Almost everything in the Western Ghats region has been reduced to tea for the sake of tea. sacred groves that from ancient times surrounded every temple. The few remaining are owned by village communities and are governed by a council of elders.
The Western Ghats are also the most large number protected areas in India. The last remaining rare animal species in the country survive here: the lion-tailed macaque, the Indian leopard, the Nilgiri ibex (living on Mount Ana Mudi), sambar and muntjac deer, the spiny dormouse, the Nilgiri harza, and the hooded gulman primate. The total number of species under threat of complete destruction and living in the Western Ghats region is about 325.
Currently, the climate of the Western Ghats is undergoing significant changes. Previously, every year from September to December, people from all over the world gathered on the slopes of the Western Ghats, especially in Anaikati, to admire the magnificent butterflies. Now the number of fluttering insects has sharply decreased. Scientists see the reasons for this phenomenon in global climate change, and the Western Ghats turned out to be the most sensitive to them of all regions of the world. Forest fires and the expansion of the plantation road network also played a role.
Cities in the Western Ghats are located at a significant altitude above sea level, for example, the popular Indian resort - the city of Udagamandalam - is located at an altitude of 2200 m. The most big city Western Ghats - Pune, the first capital of the Maratha Empire.
Another famous city in the Western Ghats - Palakkad. It is located next to the wide (40 km) Palakkad Pass, separating the most southern part Western Ghats from the Northern. In the past, the Palakkad Pass was the main route of population migration from the interior of India to the coast. The passage also serves as a major source of wind energy: the average wind speed here reaches 18-22 km/h, and large wind farms have been built throughout the passage.

General information

Origin: tectonic.

Inner Ranges: Nilgiri, Anaimalai, Palni, Kardamom Hills.

Administrative affiliation: states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Kanyakumari.

Cities: Pune - 5,049,968 people (2014), Palakkad - 130,736 people. (2001), Udagamandalam (Tamil Nadu) - 88,430 people. (2011).
Languages: Tamil, Badaga, Kannada, English, Malaya Lam, Tulu, Konkani.

Ethnic composition: Konkani, Tuluva, Mudugar, Irula and Kurumbar tribes.

Religions: Hinduism (majority), Islam, Catholicism, animism.
Currency: Indian rupee.
Large rivers: Krishna, Godavari, Kaveri, Karamana, Tapti, Pikara.
Large lakes: Emerald, Porthimund, Avalanche, Upper Bhavani, Kodaikanal.

Major airports: Coimbatore (international), Mangalore (international).

Numbers

Length: 1600 km from north to south.
Width: up to 100 km from east to west.
Average altitude: 900 m.

Maximum height: Mount Ana Mudi (2695 m).

Other peaks: Mount Doddabetta (2637 m), Hecuba (2375 m), Kattadadu (2418 m), Kulkudi (2439 m).

Climate and weather

Average January temperature: +25°С.

Average temperature in July: +24°С.

Average annual precipitation: 2000-5000 mm, on the eastern slope - 600-700 mm.
Relative humidity: 70%.

Economy

Hydroelectric power.

Wind power plants.

Agriculture: crop production (tea, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, pear, plum, strawberry).

Service sector: tourism, transport, trade.

Attractions

Curious facts

The Western Ghats stretch along the coast of the Hindustan Peninsula from north to south. It is customary to call them mountain range, but in fact these are not quite ordinary mountains. The folds of the terrain were formed in ancient times when the ancient supercontinent Godwana was breaking up. The Ghats are the edge of a huge formation that forms the entire peninsula. The ridge is separated from the Indian Ocean by a small flat strip.

Location

The name very accurately characterizes the external features of the mountains. Translated from ancient Sanskrit, the word "gats" means steps. The mountains, however, are similar to them. The Western and Eastern Ghats are different from each other. The western edge is steep, while the eastern edge transitions more smoothly into the plain. The northern part of the mountains is represented by monolithic ridges formed by the influx of one plate onto another more than 150 million years ago. The Southern Ghats, called the Malabar Coast, are more like single sloping hills.

One of the most popular tourist destinations that the Western Ghats are famous for is Goa. This small Indian state is dotted with river beds flowing from the mountains and carrying their waters into the Arabian Gulf. The traveler can easily select a suitable excursion to the mountains that will suit his wishes. By the way, holidays and accommodation in Goa are considered one of the most economical options. The region's tourism infrastructure is under active development, and local business owners have room to grow. But the beautiful nature more than compensates for the shortcomings of the service.

No less popular place, for which many people strive to visit the Western Ghats, is Mumbai. This ancient city is second in the world (after Philippine capital) by density. Here you will find luxury hotels and restaurants, theaters and museums, colorful antiquities and monuments of modern art.

Unique nature

Biologists call the Western Ghats a unique natural reserve. Several species of animals live here that are found nowhere else in the world: lion-tailed macaques, hooded gulman, spiny dormouse, tarsal goat, and others. Along with them live less rare animals, for example, the Indian elephant and baboon. Many tourists go here to admire the butterfly population. Their numbers have declined in recent years and were once among the largest in the world. The total number of rare species of animals living in the Ghats has exceeded 3 hundred.

Diverse and flora. Business card India is tea. The country ranks second in the world (after China) in its procurement. Most of the harvest is obtained on the terraces of the Ghats. It was organized by the East India Company at the end of the century before last. When the English colonialists left Hindustan, the plantations were preserved and have been diligently cultivated ever since.

The local population has been engaged in agriculture for centuries. Many crops introduced by Europeans during colonial times are grown here.

Man-made and natural attractions

When traveling to the Western Ghats, plan your route. Animal lovers will be interested in visiting unique nature reserves: Mudumalai, Bandipur, Nilgiri. The luxurious rose garden in Udagamandalam is worth visiting. National parks Eravikulam, Karimpuzha, Mukurthi and Silent Valley are cool on a hot day and will help you learn more about the unique nature of the Ghats.

There is also something to see for lovers of antiquities. The city of Palakkad is especially interesting in this regard. When going there, visit ancient fort, Jain temple, Brahmin monastery.

• Mount Ana Moody is highest point India south of the Himalayas. Its name is translated from Sanskrit as “elephant’s head”. It is shaped like the forehead of an elephant.
• Yakshagana is a traditional art in these parts. This is a dance with a plot that is performed only by men.
• In the Botanical Garden you can admire a petrified tree that is 20 million years old.
• On the terraces of the Western Ghats there are unique tea trees that have grown from bushes.
• And the most important thing is the following. Western Ghats - unique place, in which the concept of “holiday season” does not exist. Nature is kind here all year round and you can go on a trip at any time.