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The middle range of the Himalaya, lying between the Shivaliks and the Greater Himalaya, home to India's major hill stations.
The Lesser Himalayas, also called the Himachal Himalaya or Middle Himalaya, form the central of the three parallel longitudinal divisions of the Himalayan system. They lie between the outermost Shivalik range to the south and the Greater Himalaya or Himadri to the north, running roughly 60 to 80 kilometres wide with average elevations of about 3,700 to 4,500 metres. The range is separated from the Shivaliks by the Main Boundary Thrust and from the Greater Himalaya by the Main Central Thrust. Composed largely of highly compressed and altered rocks, this is the belt in which most of India's Himalayan hill stations, valleys and pasturelands are located.
Type: PhenomenonLies between the Shivaliks and the Greater Himalaya, forming the middle of the three parallel Himalayan divisions
Average elevation of about 3,700 to 4,500 metres, with a width of roughly 60 to 80 kilometres
Principal ranges include the Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar, Nag Tiba and Mussoorie ranges
Bounded by the Main Boundary Thrust to the south and the Main Central Thrust to the north
Encloses major valleys such as the Kashmir, Kangra and Kullu valleys
Contains most of India's Himalayan hill stations, including Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital and Darjeeling
Frequency: Himalayan physiographic divisions are among the most consistently tested topics in UPSC Prelims physical geography
About 3,700 to 4,500 metres
About 60 to 80 kilometres
Main Boundary Thrust, separating it from the Shivaliks
Main Central Thrust, separating it from the Greater Himalaya
Pir Panjal
Dhauladhar, Nag Tiba, Mussoorie range
Kashmir, Kangra, Kullu
| Aspect | Shivalik | Lesser Himalaya | Greater Himalaya |
|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Outermost, adjoining the plains | Middle range | Innermost and highest |
| Average elevation | About 900 to 1,100 metres | About 3,700 to 4,500 metres | Above 6,000 metres |
| Rock type | Unconsolidated river sediments | Highly compressed and altered rocks | Crystalline and metamorphic rocks |
| Characteristic features | Duns and dense forest | Hill stations, valleys and alpine pastures | Perpetual snow, glaciers and the highest peaks |
| Examples | Dehradun, Kotli Dun | Shimla, Mussoorie, Pir Panjal | Nanda Devi, Kangchenjunga |
Pir Panjal Range
The longest range of the Lesser Himalaya, separating the Kashmir Valley from the plains of Jammu; crossed by the Banihal Pass.
Dhauladhar Range
A range in Himachal Pradesh rising steeply behind the Kangra valley, on whose slopes Dharamshala is situated.
Kashmir Valley
A large intermontane valley between the Pir Panjal and the Greater Himalaya, floored with lacustrine deposits called Karewas.
Bugyals and margs
High-altitude alpine meadows above the treeline, called bugyals and payars in Uttarakhand and margs in Kashmir, as in Gulmarg and Sonmarg.
The Lesser Himalaya is where most Himalayan human settlement actually happens. Its elevations are high enough to be temperate but low enough to be habitable and cultivable, which is why the British established their hill stations here and why the Kashmir, Kangra and Kullu valleys support dense populations and horticulture. That also makes it the zone where development pressure and geological fragility collide most directly: the rocks are heavily faulted and folded, monsoon rainfall is intense, and unplanned construction on unstable slopes has made landslides and subsidence a recurring disaster in exactly the towns that draw the most visitors.
Lesser Himalaya lies between the Shivaliks and the Greater Himalaya
Average elevation 3,700-4,500 m; width about 60-80 km
Main ranges: Pir Panjal (longest), Dhauladhar, Nag Tiba, Mussoorie
Bounded by the Main Boundary Thrust in the south and the Main Central Thrust in the north
Hill stations: Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital, Darjeeling
Alpine meadows: bugyals and payars in Uttarakhand, margs in Kashmir
The Lesser Himalayas are also called the Himachal Himalaya or the Middle Himalaya. They form the central of the three parallel longitudinal divisions of the Himalayan system.
The Pir Panjal is the longest and most important range, separating the Kashmir Valley from the Jammu plains.
Their elevation of roughly 3,700 to 4,500 metres gives a temperate climate that is cool but still habitable and accessible, unlike the permanently snowbound Greater Himalaya.
The Main Boundary Thrust, a major geological fault, forms the boundary between the two ranges.