Glaciers, Valleys and Duns
Himalayan glaciers
Himalayan glaciers feed the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra systems, which is why the range is called the "Third Pole" and the "Water Tower of Asia".
| Glacier | Region | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Siachen | Ladakh (Nubra), Karakoram | Longest in the Karakoram (~76 km); second longest non-polar glacier; source of Nubra; world's highest battlefield |
| Gangotri | Uttarakhand (Uttarkashi) | ~30 km; Gaumukh snout (about 3,892 m) from which the Bhagirathi begins |
| Zemu | Sikkim | Largest in the eastern Himalaya (~26 km); Kangchenjunga; feeds Teesta tributary |
| Bara Shigri | Himachal (Lahaul) | Chandra river source; largest in Himachal (~28 km) |
| Milam / Pindari / Kafni | Kumaon | Source of Gori Ganga, Pindar, Kafni; trek routes |
| Machoi / Kolahoi | J&K | Zoji La and Lidder valley; Kolahoi glacier feeds the Lidder |
| Drang Drung / Parkachik | Zanskar | Suru valley |
| Baltoro / Biafo / Hispar | Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan-administered) | Over 60 km each |
Valleys and basins
| Valley | River | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Kashmir Valley | Jhelum | About 135 km long, 32 km wide, ~1,600 m above sea level; Karewas; Dal, Wular; saffron, apples |
| Kangra Valley | Beas | Himachal; tea, rice |
| Kullu Valley | Beas | "Valley of the Gods"; apple orchards; Manali |
| Lahaul and Spiti | Chandra, Bhaga, Spiti | Cold desert; Spiti ("Middle Land") |
| Kumaon valleys | Kosi, Gori Ganga | Uttarakhand |
| Valley of Flowers | Pushpawati (Chamoli) | UNESCO (2005, with Nanda Devi NP) |
| Kathmandu Valley | Bagmati | Nepal |
| Nubra, Zanskar, Suru, Dras | Shyok, Zanskar, Suru | Ladakh; Dras is the second coldest inhabited place on earth |
Duns and Duars
- Duns (also Doon) are broad, flat-floored longitudinal valleys between the Lesser Himalaya and the Shiwaliks: Dehradun (the largest), Kotli Dun, Patli Dun, Chaukhamba, Udhampur and Kotli in J&K.
- Duars (doors) are the corresponding plains below the Himalaya in West Bengal and Assam, entrances to Bhutan; tea estates are common.
Hill stations of the Himalaya
Shimla, Dalhousie, Kullu-Manali, Dharamshala (Himachal), Mussoorie, Nainital, Ranikhet, Almora (Uttarakhand), Darjeeling, Kalimpong (West Bengal), Gangtok (Sikkim), Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg (J&K). Munnar and Ooty are not Himalayan; they are in the Western Ghats.
Keep practising
Notes are only half the work. Test yourself with questions and discuss doubts with other aspirants.
Prepared for exam revision from NCERT, standard geography textbooks, the Census of India 2011, the India State of Forest Report, IMD, Ministry of Agriculture and other official sources. Maps are schematic teaching maps, not Survey of India maps, and zone boundaries are approximate. Figures such as production, capacity, counts of parks and ports, and census status change, so check the latest official source before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.