Vindhya Range: Location, Features, Geology, Rivers, and Biodiversity

Vindhya Range is one of the most important physiographic divisions of India and holds strong relevance for UPSC Geography preparation. From its geological formation to its role as a traditional divider between North and South India, the Vindhya Range frequently appears in prelims and mains questions. Understanding the Vindhya Range in terms of location, structure, rivers, resources, and biodiversity helps build conceptual clarity for Indian physical geography.

For UPSC aspirants, the Vindhya Range is not just a mountain chain but a crucial plateau system influencing drainage, climate, and human settlement patterns across central India.

What is Vindhya Range?

Vindhya Range is a discontinuous system of hills, plateaus, and escarpments in central India. It forms a traditional geographical boundary between the Indo-Gangetic Plains of North India and the Peninsular Plateau of South India. Geologically, it is composed mainly of ancient sedimentary rocks and plays a major role in shaping regional rivers, climate patterns, and natural resources.

Vindhya Range Location

The Vindhya mountain range stretches for about 1,200 km. It runs from eastern Gujarat to Sasaram in Bihar. The range largely passes through Madhya Pradesh and extends into Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It forms the southern border of the Central Indian Highlands. This Vindhya range location is critical.

Key location features:

• Lies south of the Indo-Gangetic Plains

• Runs roughly parallel to the Satpura Range

• Separates northern plains from peninsular plateau regions

• Forms part of the Central Highlands

For map-based UPSC questions, remember that the Vindhya Range passes through multiple states and is not a uniform ridge. It is better understood as a plateau edge system rather than a folded mountain chain.

Also Read: List of Mountain Ranges in India 

Vindhya Range Features

The Vindhya Range shows a unique combination of physical, geological, hydrological, and cultural traits that make it significant for UPSC geography and history studies. It is not a single mountain ridge but a discontinuous chain of hills, ridges, and plateau escarpments extending across central India. The range acts as a natural divide between northern plains and the Deccan Plateau, influencing rivers, climate, and human settlement.

Key features of the Vindhya Range include:

• Wide geographic span: The Vindhya Range runs from eastern Gujarat near Jobat to Sasaram in Bihar, covering about 1,200 km across central India.

• Natural boundary: It forms an important physiographic boundary between the Indo-Gangetic Plains to the north and the Peninsular Plateau to the south, a concept often tested in UPSC prelims and mains geography.

• Discontinuous structure: Instead of one folded mountain system, the range consists of several separate hill chains, highlands, and escarpments, reflecting its ancient erosional origin.

• Elevation characteristics: The average height remains between 300–650 metres, rarely exceeding 700 metres, making it lower than neighbouring highlands like the Satpura Range.

• Plateau and escarpment features: The Vindhyan tableland, including the Rewa and Panna plateaus, represents flat-topped uplands formed due to horizontal sedimentary strata.

• Rock formation: The region is dominated by horizontally layered Vindhyan Supergroup sedimentary rocks, some of the thickest and oldest sequences in the world dating back over 1.6 billion years.

Vindhya Range States

The Vindhya Range spans multiple Indian states, making it geographically and politically significant.

Vindhya and Satpura Ranges Difference

The table below highlights key distinctions between the Vindhya and Satpura Ranges.

Vindhya Range Natural Resources

The geological composition of the Vindhyan region makes it economically important. Its mineral resources and forest cover support both industry and regional livelihoods. UPSC often links physiography with resource distribution.

• Large reserves of limestone support cement industries.

• Sandstone is widely used as a construction material.

• Forest areas provide timber and ecological benefits.

• The plateau structure supports mining and industrial activity.

Vindhya Range Rivers and Drainage Role

The Vindhyan uplands significantly influence river systems of northern and central India. The range functions as a watershed that controls drainage direction and valley formation. River-based questions from this region are common in geography exams.

• Several rivers originate in or flow along the Vindhyan plateau region.

• Many rivers ultimately drain toward the Ganga basin.

• Structural rock patterns influence river flow direction.

• River valleys create fertile pockets within plateau terrain.

Vindya Range Biodiversity

The Vindhya Range supports rich dry deciduous and tropical forest ecosystems shaped by plateau terrain, seasonal rivers, and varied microclimates. Its biodiversity is important for ecological balance, wildlife corridors, and conservation studies relevant for competitive exams.

Key Biodiversity Features

• Forest Types: Predominantly tropical dry deciduous forests with teak, sal, tendu, mahua, and bamboo. These forests adapt to seasonal rainfall and long dry periods.

• Wildlife Diversity: The region supports mammals like leopard, sloth bear, chital, sambar, nilgai, and wild boar. Reptiles and diverse bird species thrive in forested and rocky habitats.

• Protected Areas: Several wildlife sanctuaries and national parks fall within the Vindhyan landscape, helping conserve forest ecosystems and endangered species.

• Ecological Importance: Acts as a natural habitat corridor linking northern plains and peninsular ecosystems, supporting gene flow and species migration.