The major mountain peaks of India, from Kanchenjunga to Anamudi

To India's north stands the Himalaya, the highest mountain range in the world, and across south and central India run older ranges such as the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats, the Vindhyas, the Satpuras and the Aravallis. Here are the major mountain peaks of India with their heights and states, along with the highest peak of each range — a frequent question in competitive exams.

India's highest peak

According to India's official map, the country's highest peak is K2 (Godwin-Austen), 8,611 metres high and the second-highest peak in the world. But it lies in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, now under Pakistan's occupation. In the area actually controlled by India, the highest peak is Kanchenjunga (8,586 metres) in Sikkim — the third-highest peak in the world.

The major peaks of the Himalaya

The highest peaks of other ranges

Did you know? Eravikulam National Park, around Anamudi, is home to the rare Nilgiri tahr (a mountain goat), and its hills turn blue with neelakurinji flowers that bloom about once in twelve years.

Indians who reached the top

• On 29 May 1953 Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary first stood on the summit of Mount Everest (8,848.86 metres).
• In 1984 Bachendri Pal became the first Indian woman to reach the top of Everest.
• In 2013 Arunima Sinha became the first woman with an artificial leg to climb Everest.

How are mountain heights measured?

Peaks are measured from sea level. In the 19th century the "Great Trigonometrical Survey" measured the Himalayan peaks from far away using trigonometry — read Who made the first map of India. Around 1852 the calculations of the mathematician Radhanath Sikdar showed that "Peak XV" was the highest mountain in the world; it was later named Everest. Today heights are measured with GPS and satellites, and in 2020 Nepal and China jointly announced Everest's height as 8,848.86 metres.

The Himalaya: the youngest great range

The Himalaya is among the youngest great mountain ranges in the world. About 50 million years ago the Indian plate collided with the Asian plate, and the pressure pushed the Himalaya up. The collision is still going on, so the Himalaya grows by a few millimetres every year and the region keeps having earthquakes. The Aravallis, by contrast, are among the oldest mountain ranges in the world and have worn down a great deal over millions of years.

Why the mountains matter

The Himalaya shields India from cold northern winds and stops the monsoon winds, making them shed rain. Its glaciers feed perennial rivers such as the Ganga, the Yamuna and the Brahmaputra. The Western Ghats are a major centre of biodiversity and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So protecting mountain forests and glaciers matters for the water and weather of the whole country.

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