Western Ghats

The 500-mile-long Aravalli Range (meaning "line of peaks") runs from Champaner and Palanpur in eastern Gujarat to the outskirts of Delhi. About 80 percent of it is situated in Rajasthan, where it borders the Thar desert and provides protection from the extreme desert climate. The highest peak is Guru Shikhar at Mount Abu, near the Gujarat border, with an elevation of 5,650 feet above sea level. However, most of the hills are concentrated in the area around Udaipur. Mewar rulers used this to their advantage by constructing immense forts, such as Chittorgarh and Kumbhalgarh, in strategic places. There are many other forts and palaces dotted through the range, as well as tourist destinations including Bundi, Bera (popular for leopard spotting) and Pushkar (where the famous annual camel fair is held). As 1 of the oldest fold mountain ranges (formed when tectonic plates are pushed together) in the world, the Aravalli Range has an extensive history. Archeologists have uncovered evidence of civilization dating back to the Stone Age. Unfortunately, these days, the range is being degraded by deforestation and illegal mining.