Plateaus Of India

Deccan Plateau

The Deccan Plateau is the biggest plateau in the south Asian country of India. India and covers almost the entire southern part of India. The plateau attains a height of about 100 meters in the north and1 km in the south forming a roughly elevated triangle. The Deccan Plateau extends across 8 states of India and is located between the two mountain ranges of the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats. The Satpura and the Vindhya Ranges separate the Deccan Plateau from the Indo-Gangetic plains in the north. The western parts of the Deccan Plateau receive low rainfall due to the blockage of the monsoon winds by the Western Ghats. The rivers of the Deccan Plateau mainly drain south into the Bay of Bengal. The Godavari, Krishna, Indravati, Kaveri, Tungabhadra, etc., are some of the major rivers of the Deccan Plateau.

Bhander Plateau

The Bhander Plateau encompasses an area of 10,000 square km in the Indian State of Madhya Pradesh. The plateau links the Deccan Plateau to the Chota Nagpur Plateau and the Indo-Gangetic Plains. The Bhander Plateau is part of the Vindhya Range of Central India.

Changtang Plateau

The Changtang Plateau that covers parts of western and northern Tibet also extends into southeastern Ladakh in India covering a total distance of about 1,600 km. The climate here is harsh and unpredictable.

Chota Nagpur Plateau

The Chota Nagpur Plateau covers large parts of the Jharkhand state of India and also stretches into the adjacent Indian states of Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh. The plateau is bordered by the Mahanadi River to the south and the Indo-Gangetic plain to the east and south.

Kaas Plateau

The Kaas Plateau is located 25 km west of Maharashtra’s Satara city. It is part of the Sahyadri Sub-Cluster of the Western Ghats and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Kaas Plateau houses a wide variety of endemic plant and animal species.


Karbi-Meghalaya Plateau 

The Karbi-Meghalaya Plateau in India is an extension of the peninsular plateau of India in north-east India. It is believed to have taken shape during the north-eastwardly movement of the Indian plate during the origin of the Himalayas. 

Kolar Plateau

The Kolar Plateau in India is located in south Karnataka. The plateau has a dry, climate with abundant scrub vegetation that is suitable for livestock grazing. Silk and milk are produced here in large quantities as rearing silkworms and cattle are the primary occupations of most of the residents of the Kolar Plateau. Woolen garments, leather goods, pencils, and coarse cotton fabrics are produced here.

Mangi-Tungi Plateau

The Mangi-Tungi, a twin-pinnacled peak houses a plateau in between and is located about 125 km from Nasik near Tahrabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mangi, the western pinnacle rises to a height of 4,343 ft and Tungi is the eastern pinnacle with a height of 4,366 ft. Numerous Jain temples are situated in the peak and plateau which are held as sacred by Jains. These temples along with several sculptures of religious and historical importance and caves named after Jain tirthankaras serve as tourist attractions in the Mangi-Tungi plateau in India.

Mysore Plateau 

The Mysore Plateau is located in the Indian state of Karnataka. The Western Ghats border this plateau on the south and west and the Kaveri River flows through it. The average elevation of the Mysore plateau is 600 to 900 meters, and it covers an area of about 73,000 square miles. Granites, crystalline schists, and volcanic rocks constitute the plateau. Besides the Kaveri, the Godavari, Krishna, Bhima, Tungabhadra, and Sharavati rivers also flow through the Mysore Plateau. The Jog Falls on the Shravanti Rivers is a popular tourist destination and an important hydroelectric power source. Sandalwood, teak, and eucalyptus are the commercially important vegetation of the region and minerals like copper, manganese, and chromium is also mined. Iron ore deposits in the Baba Budan Hills and Kolar Gold Fields are important sources of iron ore and gold. Mysore, Bellary, Belgaum, Bijapur are important towns on the Mysore Plateau.

Rohtas Plateau

The Rohtas Plateau is located in Bihar’s south-western part that comprises an area of about 800 square miles and attains a height of about 1,490 feet above sea-level at Rohtasgarh. The plateau has numerous deep cut gorges formed by torrential streams. Small saucer-shaped valleys dot the roof of this tableland. Numerous waterfalls are formed by the rivers flowing over the edges of the plateau. 

Shillong Plateau

The Shillong Plateau is located in northeastern India’s Meghalaya state. The Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia Hills make up the southern, northern, and western ridges of the Shillong Plateau. 

Sigur Plateau

The Sigur Plateau is located to the east and north of the Nilgiri District in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiri Hills and encompasses an area of 778.8 square km. The plateau is an important wildlife corridor that connects the ecologically rich Eastern and the Western Ghats region. A part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is located in the Sigur Plateau.

Tibetan Plateau 

The Tibetan Plateau is a vast plateau stretching across Central Asia and East Asa encompassing most of Tibet and China’s Qinghai Province. The plateau also extends into India’s Ladakh region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. 

Vallam Plateau

The Vallam Plateau is located south of the Thanjavur town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.