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The Aravallis

The Aravallis are among the oldest mountains on Earth — worn down over more than a billion years to rounded hills — yet they still shape Rajasthan's climate, rivers, minerals and forests, and stand between the Thar and the plains of north India. Their extent, peaks, geology, importance, the threats they face, and the debates over their protection.

15 Oct 2026 4 min read

यह गाइड हिंदी में पढ़ें →
In this guide
  1. Extent and alignment
  2. Geology
  3. Main peaks
  4. Regions of the Aravallis
  5. Why the Aravallis matter
  6. Threats
  7. Conservation
  8. Practice

At Guru Shikhar, the highest point on Mount Abu, you stand about 1,722 metres above sea level on one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. The Aravallis were formed in the Precambrian era — geologists date their origins to more than a billion years ago — and have been worn down by time into rounded hills and ridges. Yet this ancient, eroded range still does remarkable work: it divides Rajasthan's desert from its plains, feeds its rivers, holds its minerals, and slows the eastward march of the Thar.

Extent and alignment

FeatureDetails
Total lengthAbout 692 km (the usual textbook figure; estimates vary), from Gujarat (near Palanpur/Khed Brahma) to Delhi (the Delhi Ridge)
Length in RajasthanAbout 550 km — about 80% of the range
AlignmentSouth-west to north-east, diagonally across the state
Share of Rajasthan's areaRoughly one-tenth
HeightGenerally low; highest in the south-west (Mount Abu), lower towards the north-east

Geology

  • The Aravallis are fold mountains formed by ancient tectonic movements.
  • They belong to the Aravalli and Delhi supergroups of rocks — among the oldest rock formations in India.
  • Long erosion has left them as residual mountains — low, rounded and broken into ridges.

Main peaks

PeakHeight (approx.)Location
Guru Shikhar1,722 mMount Abu (Sirohi) — highest in Rajasthan
Ser1,597 mSirohi
Dilwara1,442 mMount Abu
Jarga1,431 mUdaipur
Achalgarh1,380 mMount Abu

Regions of the Aravallis

Geographers divide the range into three parts:

  1. Southern Aravallis — the highest and most rugged part, in Sirohi, Udaipur and Rajsamand; includes Mount Abu and the Bhorat plateau.
  2. Central Aravallis — around Ajmer; lower hills with gaps (such as the Nag hills near Ajmer, source of the Luni).
  3. Northern Aravallis — in Jaipur, Alwar and Sikar–Jhunjhunu; scattered hills extending towards Delhi.

The range is broken by passes (locally called nal), such as the Desuri nal and Haldighati, which historically linked Mewar with Marwar and were important in war.

Why the Aravallis matter

RoleExplanation
Water divideRivers east of the range (Banas, Chambal tributaries) drain to the Bay of Bengal; rivers to the west (Luni, Sabarmati, West Banas) drain towards the Arabian Sea or into the desert
ClimateBecause they run parallel to the south-west monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea, they do not block those winds — one reason western Rajasthan gets little rain. They do cause some rain on their windward slopes; Mount Abu receives the highest rainfall in Rajasthan
Barrier to desertificationThey help check the eastward spread of sand and hot winds towards the plains
MineralsRich in zinc, lead, copper, marble, granite, mica and more (Zawar, Rampura-Agucha, Khetri, Makrana region)
Forests and wildlifeHome to sanctuaries and reserves — Mount Abu, Kumbhalgarh, Sariska, Todgarh-Raoli — and wildlife corridors
Groundwater rechargeHills and forests recharge aquifers for Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur and the NCR
History and cultureForts, passes and hill kingdoms — Chittor, Kumbhalgarh, Amber

Threats

  1. Mining — legal and illegal mining for stone, marble and minerals has cut through hills.
  2. Deforestation — forest loss for fuel, grazing and construction.
  3. Urbanisation — especially near Jaipur, Udaipur and the Delhi–NCR end of the range.
  4. Encroachment on hills and water bodies.
  5. Gaps in the range — through which sand and dust move eastward.

The Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal have repeatedly intervened on mining and construction in the Aravallis. The legal definition of what counts as the "Aravalli hills" — and therefore where mining is restricted — has been the subject of recent debate.

Conservation

  • The Aravalli Green Wall project (launched in 2023) aims to restore degraded land in a belt along the range across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi, as part of India's land restoration commitments.
  • Protected areas and eco-sensitive zones.
  • Community forest management and watershed programmes.

Practice

Prelims-style:

  1. What is the length of the Aravallis within Rajasthan?
  2. Which is the highest peak of the Aravallis, and how high is it?
  3. In which direction do the Aravallis run?
  4. Which place in Rajasthan receives the highest rainfall?
  5. When was the Aravalli Green Wall project launched?

Mains-style (50 words): Why do the Aravallis fail to bring much rain to western Rajasthan?

Mains-style (100 words): Discuss the ecological importance of the Aravallis and the threats they face.

A note on dates and numbers. Exam patterns, vacancies and schedules change from year to year. Always confirm the current details in the latest notification on the Rajasthan Public Service Commission website .

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