East-West Division of Himalayas: From Kashmir to the Eastern Hills

The Himalayas, a young and mighty mountain range, stretch from the Indus River to the Brahmaputra River, dividing into several sections along the way. East West Division of Himalayas extends from the towering peaks of the Northwestern Himalayas to the lush valleys of the Eastern Hills, these mountains shape the landscape and culture of India. With each region offering its wonders and challenges, the Himalayas stand as a symbol of resilience and wonder in India’s geography.

East-West Division of Himalayas

• The Himalayas, a geologically young fold mountain range, extends from the Indus River in the west to the Brahmaputra River in the east. 
• It extends further as the Purvanchal or Eastern hills. Western Himalayas are wider than the eastern Himalayas. 
• The Himalayas are found in West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Assam, and Jammu & Kashmir. [UPSC 2017].  
• East west Divison of Himalayas is done on this basis of rivers, It has been divided into 6 divisions. 
  • Kashmir or Northwestern Himalayas( Indus River and Sutlej), 
  • The Himachal and Uttarakhand Himalayas (Satlej to Kali),   
  • Nepal Himalayas (Kali-Kosi), 
  • The Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas (Kosi-Teesta), 
  • Arunachal Himalayas (From Teesta and Dihang), 
  • The Eastern Hills and Mountains(Beyond Dihang)

A. Kashmir or Northwestern Himalayas 

• Position: Northeastern part of the Kashmir Himalayas is a cold desert lying between the Greater Himalayas and the Karakoram ranges.
• Important Ranges: 
  • Trans Himalayas (North to South): 
  • Karakoram Range (Peaks- K2, Gasherbrum); 
  • Ladakh Range (Peaks-Rakaposhi); Zaskar Range (Peaks- Nanga Parbat)
• Valley of Kashmir and Dal Lake lie between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range.  Kashmir Valley is believed to be a basin that was occupied by a lake in the Pleistocene age and was later filled with sediment. It was uplifted to form the Kashmir valley. 
• Jhelum River: in the valley of Kashmir is still in its youth stage and yet forms meander, a feature associated with the mature stage in the evolution of fluvial landform. 
  • Srinagar is located on the banks of Jhelum river
• Glaciers: Baltoro and Siachen glaciers are found in this region.
• Karewa Formations: found in Kashmir Himalayas are useful for the cultivation of Zafran (saffron)

• • Important Passes: Zoji La (Great Himalayas), Banihal (Pir Panjal), Photu La (Zaskar), Khardung La (Ladakh range)
  • Lakes: Freshwater – Dal and Wular; Saltwater – Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri.

• Places of Pilgrimage: Vaishno Devi, Amarnath Cave, Charar-e-Sharif etc.

• Southernmost part of it has longitudinal valleys called ‘duns’. 
  • Example: Jammu dun and Pathankot dun

B. The Himachal and Uttarakhand Himalayas

• All three ranges of Himalayas are prominent in this section – Great Himalayas, the Lesser Himalayas (Dhaoladhar in Himachal Pradesh and Nag Tibba in Uttarakhand) and the Shiwalik
• It lies approximately between the Ravi and the Kali (a tributary of Ghaghara). It is drained by the Indus and Ganga river systems. 
• Cold Desert: The northernmost part of the Himachal Himalayas is an extension of the Ladakh cold desert – Spiti subdivision (Lahaul and Spiti). 
• Important Hill Stations: Dharamshala, Mussoorie, Kaosani, Shimla, Kasauli, Almora, Lansdowne and Ranikhet, etc.
• Important Duns: Chandigarh-Kalka dun, Nalagarh dun, Dehra Dun, Harike dun and  Kota dun, etc. Dehra Dun is the largest of all the duns 
• Tribes: Bhotia inhabit the valleys in the Great Himalayan range. 
• Bugyals: are used by these nomadic groups (the summer glasslands in the higher reaches) during summer and they return to the valleys during winter (Transmigration).
• The famous ‘Valley of flowers’ is also situated in this region.
• Places of pilgrimage: Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Hemkund Sahib,  five famous Prayags (river confluences).
• Important Peaks
  • Great Himalayas (North to South): Kamet, Bandarpunch, Badrinath,  Kedarnath, Nanda Devi, Trishul; 
  • Lesser Himalayas:  Nag Tibba, Mussoorie range, Kumaon Range. 

C. Nepal Himalayas (Kali-Kosi)

• Area Covers: From the Kali River in the west to the Tista River in the east, this region is known as the Nepal Himalayas. 
• Important Peaks:  Nepal is home to some of the highest peaks in the world, including Mount Everest (8,848 meters), the tallest mountain on Earth, Other peaks include Kanchenjunga, and Dhaulagiri.
• Sherpa Community: indigenous to the Nepal Himalayas, renowned for their mountaineering skills and resilience in high-altitude environments. 

D. The Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas (Kosi-Teesta)

• Location: Nepal Himalayas are located in the west and Bhutan Himalayas in the east. 
  • Teesta originates near Kangchenjunga.
• Mountain peaks: Kanchenjunga (Kanchengiri).
• Tribes: Lepcha tribe 
• Tea Plantations: due to favourable conditions – moderate slope, thick soil cover with high organic content, well-distributed rainfall throughout the year, and mild winters. 
• Duar Formations: Along with the Arunachal Himalayas, these are also marked by the absence of the Shiwalik formations. 
  • Duar formations are present in place of Shiwaliks here, that are used for tea plantations. 
• Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalayas are also known for various types of orchids.

E. Arunachal Himalayas

• Area Covers: It Extends from the east of Bhutan Himalayas up to Diphu pass (near tripoint borders of India, China, and Myanmar) in the east and dissected by fast-flowing rivers with deep gorges.
• Mountain peaks:  Kangtu and Namcha Barwa.
• Tribal communities: Monpa, Daffla, Abor, Mishmi, Nishi and Nagas (West to East). 
  • Most of them practice shifting or slash-and-burn cultivation (Jhumming).

F. The Eastern Hills and Mountains

• Location: Beyond the Dihang Gorge (Brahmaputra), the Himalayas bend sharply to the south. They are known as the Purvanchal or the Eastern hills and mountains. 
  • The general alignment is from north to south direction. 
• Different Names: They are known by different names (North to South) – 
  • Patkai Bum (forms the border between Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar), 
  • Naga Hills (forms watershed between India and Myanmar), 
  • Manipur Hills (Border between Manipur and Myanmar), and 
  • Mizo or Lushai Hills (Highest Peak- Blue Mountain), inhabited by tribal groups practising Jhum cultivation.
• Molassis Basin: Mizoram is also known as the ‘Molassis Basin’. 
  • It is made up of soft unconsolidated deposits.

Conclusion

In India’s geography, the Himalayas highlight a vivid picture of diversity and beauty. From the cold deserts of Kashmir to the tea plantations of Darjeeling, and from the tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh to the gentle slopes of the Eastern Hills, these mountains are more than just natural landmarks – they are the heart and soul of a nation, influencing climates, cultures, and civilizations for generations to come.

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