अरावली पर्वतश्रृंखला: राजस्थान की रीढ़

The Aravalli range is among the oldest fold mountains in the world. It runs about 692 km from Gujarat through Rajasthan and Haryana to Delhi, and roughly 550 km of that lies in Rajasthan, cutting the state diagonally from south-west to north-east.

Highest points

• Guru Shikhar (about 1,722 m), near Mount Abu in Sirohi: highest peak in Rajasthan.
• Ser and Delwara in the Abu hills follow it.
• Jarga (Udaipur) is the highest peak of the Mewar hills.

Why the Aravallis matter

• Rainfall divide: the range runs parallel to the south-west monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea, so it does not block them. That is one reason western Rajasthan stays dry.
• Drainage divide: rivers to the east, such as the Banas and Chambal system, flow to the Bay of Bengal. The Luni, west of the range, flows to the Rann of Kachchh.
• Desert barrier: the range slows the spread of the Thar towards the east.
• Minerals: zinc, lead, copper and marble come from the Aravalli belt.

Physical divisions of Rajasthan (with the Aravallis)

1. Western sandy plain (Thar)
2. Aravalli hill region
3. Eastern plain
4. South-eastern plateau (Hadoti)