Difference Between Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats

In Class 9 Geography (Physical Features of India), the Peninsular Plateau is bordered by two massive mountain ranges: the Western Ghats facing the Arabian Sea, and the Eastern Ghats facing the Bay of Bengal. Understanding the geographical differences between these two is a guaranteed exam question.

Question (Click to Flip)

Where do the Western and Eastern Ghats meet?

Answer

The two great mountain ranges finally meet and merge together at the Nilgiri Hills (The Blue Mountains) located at the border junction of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.

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Key Facts

Because the Peninsular Plateau of India is naturally tilted slightly downwards towards the East, almost all major rivers originating in the Western Ghats (like the Krishna and Godavari) flow entirely across the country to empty into the Bay of Bengal!

1. Continuity (The Biggest Difference)

Western Ghats: They are a massive, solid, and continuous wall of mountains. You can only cross them through very specific narrow passes (like the Palghat, Thalghat, and Bhorghat passes).
Eastern Ghats: They are highly broken, fragmented, and discontinuous. Over millions of years, massive rivers (like the Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri) have violently cut through these mountains to drain into the Bay of Bengal.

2. Height and Elevation

Western Ghats: They are very tall and steep. Their average elevation is roughly 900 to 1,600 meters. Their height steadily increases as you travel from North (Maharashtra) to South (Kerala).
Eastern Ghats: They are much shorter and gently sloping. Their average elevation is only about 600 meters.

3. Highest Peaks

Western Ghats: The absolute highest peak is Anai Mudi (2,695 meters) located in Kerala, followed closely by Doda Betta (2,637 meters) in the Nilgiris.
Eastern Ghats: The highest prominent peak is Mahendragiri (1,501 meters) located in Odisha.

4. Rainfall and Climate

Western Ghats: Because they act as a massive wall, they block the incoming moisture-laden South-West Monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea. This causes extremely heavy orographic rainfall on their western slopes, creating dense, lush tropical evergreen forests.
Eastern Ghats: They run parallel to the monsoon winds and do not block them effectively, resulting in much less rainfall and mostly dry deciduous forests.

Questions and Answers

Where do the Western and Eastern Ghats meet?+

The two great mountain ranges finally meet and merge together at the **Nilgiri Hills** (The Blue Mountains) located at the border junction of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.

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