Where are Shevaroy Hills located?

1. Physiography of the Peninsular Plateau (basic)

The Peninsular Plateau is often described as the 'heart' of India’s geography. Imagine a massive, stable tableland that has stood the test of time while other features, like the Himalayas, were still being formed. Unlike the jagged, young peaks of the north, this region is characterized by broad, shallow valleys and rounded hills, signifying its great geological age Contemporary India-I, Physical Features of India, p.12.

Geologically, this plateau is a relic of the ancient Gondwanaland. When this massive supercontinent broke and drifted apart millions of years ago, this landmass moved northward. This makes it one of the oldest and most stable landmasses on Earth. It is composed primarily of old crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks like granite and gneiss. Interestingly, the plateau isn't just a single block; it has undergone phases of upliftment, submergence, and crustal faulting (such as the Bhima fault), which have added layers of complexity to its relief India Physical Environment, Structure and Physiography, p.12.

To understand its vastness, we divide the Peninsular Plateau into three distinct segments based on their relief and location:

• The Central Highlands: Located north of the Narmada River, covering the Malwa plateau. It is bounded by the Aravalis (the oldest fold mountains) in the northwest and the Vindhyan range in the south Contemporary India-I, Physical Features of India, p.12.
• The Deccan Plateau: A triangular landmass lying south of the Narmada. It is higher in the west and slopes gently eastward, flanked by the Western and Eastern Ghats.
• The Northeastern Plateau: An extension of the main plateau found in the Meghalaya and Karbi Anglong regions, separated by a massive fault from the Chotanagpur plateau India Physical Environment, Structure and Physiography, p.12.

Feature	Central Highlands	Deccan Plateau
Location	North of Narmada River	South of Narmada River
Major Ranges	Vindhyas, Aravalis	Satpuras, Western/Eastern Ghats
Slope Direction	Southwest to Northeast	West to East

A unique feature of the northwestern part of this plateau is the Deccan Trap, famous for its black soil of volcanic origin. This region is also home to highly denuded "relict mountains" like the Aravalis, which have been eroded over millions of years to form discontinuous ranges India Physical Environment, Structure and Physiography, p.13.

Sources: Contemporary India-I, Physical Features of India, p.12; India Physical Environment, Structure and Physiography, p.12-13

2. Characteristics of the Eastern Ghats (intermediate)

The Eastern Ghats represent the eastern edge of the Deccan Plateau, running almost parallel to the Bay of Bengal. Unlike their western counterparts, the Eastern Ghats are a series of detached, discontinuous hill ranges that have been heavily eroded and dissected by major east-flowing peninsular rivers like the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri Contemporary India-I, Physical Features of India, p.12. While the Western Ghats form a continuous wall, the Eastern Ghats are more like a collection of broken highlands with varying local names and geological compositions.

Geographically, they stretch from the Mahanadi Valley in the north to the Nilgiri Hills in the south, where they finally merge with the Western Ghats to form the Nilgiri mountain knot Geography of India, Physiography, p.58. One of the most defining characteristics of the Eastern Ghats is their lower average elevation (approx. 600 meters) compared to the Western Ghats. The highest peak is Aroya-Konda (1680 m) in Andhra Pradesh, followed by others like Mahendragiri in Odisha Geography of India, Physiography, p.61-62.

Feature	Western Ghats	Eastern Ghats
Continuity	Continuous; crossed only through passes (Thal, Bhor, Pal Ghats).	Discontinuous; highly dissected by rivers.
Average Elevation	900 – 1600 metres.	~600 metres.
Rainfall	Cause orographic rain on the western slopes.	Lower rainfall; parallel to the monsoon winds in many parts.

As we move south of the Krishna River, the Eastern Ghats manifest as distinct ranges. These include the Nallamalai, Palkonda, and Velikonda ranges in Andhra Pradesh, and further south, the Javadi and Shevaroy Hills in Tamil Nadu Geography of India, Physiography, p.62. The Shevaroy Hills, located in the Salem district, are particularly famous for the hill station of Yercaud. Geologically, these hills are composed of ancient rocks like khondalites and charnokites, reflecting a complex history of metamorphism and uplift.

Sources: Contemporary India-I, Geography, Class IX (NCERT), Physical Features of India, p.12; Geography of India (Majid Husain), Physiography, p.58, 61, 62

3. Major East-Flowing Rivers and Terrain Dissection (intermediate)

To understand the landscape of Peninsular India, we must first look at its general tilt. While the Western Ghats form a continuous wall along the Arabian Sea, the entire Peninsular plateau gently slopes from west to east. This tilt dictates the journey of India’s most significant river systems—the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri—which originate near the Western Ghats but travel hundreds of kilometers across the plateau to reach the Bay of Bengal Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Geographical Diversity of India, p.16. These rivers are 'old' in geological terms, characterized by broad, shallow valleys and a lack of high-speed erosional power compared to Himalayan rivers, yet their persistence over millions of years has fundamentally reshaped the eastern coastline.

The most striking result of this eastward flow is the dissection of the Eastern Ghats. Unlike the Western Ghats, which are high (900–1600m) and continuous, the Eastern Ghats are much lower (average 600m) and are described as discontinuous and irregular CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I, Physical Features of India, p.12. Over eons, the major east-flowing rivers have cut deep, wide gaps through these mountains to reach the sea. This erosion has reduced the Eastern Ghats to a series of isolated hill ranges. In the southern stretch, this fragmentation is so complete that the 'Ghats' exist only as distinct hill groups, such as the Javadhu Hills and the Shevaroy Hills (located in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu) Geography of India, The Eastern Ghats, p.62.

Feature	Western Ghats	Eastern Ghats
Continuity	Continuous; can be crossed only through passes (Thal, Bhor, Pal Ghats).	Discontinuous; heavily dissected by rivers.
Major Rivers	Act as the primary water divide.	Cut through by rivers like Godavari and Krishna.
Landforms	High escarpments; cause orographic rain.	Broken hills like the Shevaroy and Javadi ranges.

Furthermore, because the eastern coastal plain is wider and the slope is gentle, these rivers lose velocity as they approach the sea. Instead of forming narrow estuaries (like the Narmada or Tapi in the west), they deposit vast amounts of sediment to form large deltas at their mouths CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I, Drainage, p.21. These deltas, such as the Godavari-Krishna delta, are the 'rice bowls' of India, highlighting how the geological 'dissection' of mountains directly facilitates human agriculture and settlement.

Sources: Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Geographical Diversity of India, p.16; CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I, Physical Features of India, p.12; Geography of India, The Eastern Ghats, p.62; CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I, Drainage, p.21

4. The Western Ghats and Biodiversity Hotspots (basic)

The Western Ghats, known in Sanskrit as the Sahyadris, represent one of the most magnificent physical features of India. Stretching approximately 1600 km from the mouth of the Tapi River down to Kanyakumari, they are not conventional mountains formed by folding (like the Himalayas), but are block mountains formed by the downwarping of land into the Arabian Sea Geography of India (Majid Husain), Chapter 2: Physiography, p.58. This geological history gives them a unique profile: their western slope is incredibly steep and cliff-like, while their eastern slope tapers off gently toward the Deccan Plateau India Physical Environment (NCERT Class XI), Chapter 2: Structure and Physiography, p.12.

As you move from north to south, the Western Ghats take on different local names and characteristics. They are called the Sahyadri in Maharashtra, the Nilgiri hills in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and further south, they are known as the Anaimalai and Cardamom hills in Kerala India Physical Environment (NCERT Class XI), Chapter 2: Structure and Physiography, p.12. Crucially, they act as the primary watershed of Peninsular India. Major rivers like the Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri originate here and flow eastward toward the Bay of Bengal, while shorter, swifter rivers rush westward into the Arabian Sea, creating spectacular features like the Jog Falls (Gersoppa) on the Sharvati river Geography of India (Majid Husain), Chapter 2: Physiography, p.58.

Beyond their physical structure, the Western Ghats are a global ecological treasure. In 2012, they were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because they represent "outstanding universal value" in terms of biological evolution and in-situ conservation Environment and Ecology (Majid Hussain), Chapter: Biodiversity, p.57. They are recognized as one of the world's eight "hottest hotspots" of biodiversity, hosting an incredible array of endemic species (plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth) within their tropical evergreen and montane forests.

Feature	Western Ghats (Sahyadris)	Eastern Ghats
Continuity	Continuous; can be crossed only through passes (e.g., Palghat).	Discontinuous and broken by large east-flowing rivers.
Elevation	Higher average elevation (approx. 900–1600m).	Lower average elevation (approx. 600m).
Origin of Rivers	Source of major rivers like Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri.	Few major rivers originate here; mostly cut through by Western rivers.

Sources: Geography of India (Majid Husain), Physiography, p.58; India Physical Environment (NCERT Class XI), Structure and Physiography, p.12; Environment and Ecology (Majid Hussain), Biodiversity, p.57

5. The Junction: Nilgiris and Southern Hill Complexes (intermediate)

In the physical architecture of Peninsular India, the Nilgiri Hills act as the grand structural hinge where the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats converge. This region is often described as a "mountain knot," a high-altitude plateau where the two great ranges lose their individual identities and merge into a single massive block Majid Husain, Physiography, p.58. Unlike the northern sections of the Western Ghats (known as the Sahyadris), which are relatively continuous, the southern section near this junction becomes more complex. The Nilgiris themselves are shared across the borders of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala, forming a high-elevation zone that hosts the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the first of its kind in India and a member of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves Majid Husain, Natural Vegetation and National Parks, p.49.

Just south of the Nilgiri complex lies the Palghat Gap (also known as the Palakkad Gap). This is a significant geomorphological break, roughly 30 km wide, that interrupts the otherwise continuous wall of the Western Ghats Majid Husain, Physiography, p.58. This gap is not just a geological curiosity; it serves as a vital corridor for the Southwest Monsoon winds to penetrate the interior of Tamil Nadu and acts as a historic trade route connecting the Malabar Coast with the Carnatic plains.

South of the Palghat Gap, the mountains rise again to form the Southern Hill Complexes. This area includes the Anaimalai Hills (Elephant Hills), the Palani Hills, and the Cardamom Hills. It is here that we find Anaimudi (2,695 m), the highest peak in all of South India and the highest point of the Sahyadris Majid Husain, Physiography, p.58. While the Western Ghats continue toward Kanyakumari, the Eastern Ghats in this southern sector become highly dissected and detached, represented by isolated ranges like the Shevaroy Hills and Javadi Hills in Tamil Nadu Majid Husain, The Eastern Ghats, p.62.

Feature	Description	Significance
Nilgiri Hills	The junction of Eastern and Western Ghats.	India's first Biosphere Reserve.
Palghat Gap	A 30km wide break south of Nilgiris.	Climate and trade corridor.
Anaimudi	Located in the Anaimalai Hills.	Highest peak in South India (2,695 m).

Sources: Geography of India, Majid Husain (McGrawHill 9th ed.), Physiography, p.58; INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.), Structure and Physiography, p.13; Geography of India, Majid Husain (McGrawHill 9th ed.), Natural Vegetation and National Parks, p.49; Geography of India, Majid Husain (McGrawHill 9th ed.), The Eastern Ghats, p.62

6. Specific Hill Ranges of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (exam-level)

While the Western Ghats are a continuous wall, the Eastern Ghats are a series of detached, weathered hill ranges that mark the eastern edge of the Deccan Plateau CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I, Physical Features of India, p.12. These hills are deeply dissected by the great rivers of the Peninsula—the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri—which flow into the Bay of Bengal. Because of this erosion, the ranges appear as isolated blocks with distinct local names as we move from Andhra Pradesh down into Tamil Nadu.

In Andhra Pradesh, the Eastern Ghats take the form of the Nallamala Hills, Erramala Hills, Palakonda Range, and Velikonda Range. These ranges are generally composed of ancient quartzites and slates. The highest point in the Eastern Ghats, Arma Konda (also known as Aroya-Konda), reaching an elevation of 1,680 meters, is located in this state Geography of India, Physiography, p.61. This highlights that while the average elevation of the Eastern Ghats is lower than the West (around 600m), certain pockets remain quite high.

As we move south into Tamil Nadu, the character of the hills changes. Here, we find the Javadi Hills and the Shevaroy (Servarayan) Hills. The Shevaroy Hills, located in the Salem District, are particularly significant. They host the popular hill station of Yercaud. These southern ranges are crucial because they eventually converge with the Western Ghats at the Nilgiri Hills INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Structure and Physiography, p.12. The Shevaroy range is often cited as one of the most prominent hill groups in the southern segment of the Eastern Ghats due to its distinct plateau-like top and cooler climate.

State	Key Hill Ranges	Notable Features
Andhra Pradesh	Nallamala, Erramala, Palakonda, Velikonda	Home to Arma Konda (Highest Peak).
Tamil Nadu	Javadi, Shevaroy (Servarayan), Kalrayan	Shevaroy is famous for the Yercaud hill station (Salem).

Sources: CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I, Physical Features of India, p.12; Geography of India, Physiography, p.61; INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Structure and Physiography, p.12

7. Solving the Original PYQ (exam-level)

Now that you have mastered the physiographic divisions of India, specifically the structure of the Peninsular Plateau, this question brings those building blocks together. You’ve learned that the Eastern Ghats are a series of discontinuous, eroded hill ranges scattered across the eastern coast. The Shevaroy Hills represent a crucial link in this chain. In your previous modules, we discussed how the Eastern Ghats lose their continuity in the south; identifying these specific remnants is a classic UPSC requirement to test your spatial awareness and grasp of regional geography.

To arrive at the correct answer, Tamil Nadu, you should lean on the specific landmarks associated with this range. The Shevaroy Hills (also known as the Servarayan range) are situated in the Salem District. A helpful mnemonic or mental anchor is the hill station Yercaud, which is the principal town of this range. As noted in Geography of India by Majid Husain, these hills are part of the southern Eastern Ghats, which also include the Javadi and Elagiri hills, all located within the borders of Tamil Nadu.

UPSC often uses neighboring states as distractors to test if you can distinguish between the various hill ranges of the Deccan. While Andhra Pradesh also hosts parts of the Eastern Ghats, it is home to ranges like the Nallamala and Palkonda, not the Shevaroy. Similarly, Karnataka and Kerala are primarily dominated by the Western Ghats (such as the Baba Budan or Cardamom hills). The common trap is confusing the "S" and "J" named hills—Javadi, Shevaroy, and Sirumalai—which are unique to the eastern landscape of Tamil Nadu.