Orientation of the Himalayas
Topic: Structure and Physiography of India: Himalayas, Plains, Peninsula, Coasts and Islands · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "Structure and Physiography"
Meaning
The orientation of the Himalayas is the direction the ranges run. It changes along their length. The ranges run northwest–southeast in north-west India, east–west in Darjiling and Sikkim, southwest–northeast in Arunachal Pradesh, and north–south in Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Together they form a great arc that wraps around India's north and north-east. This arc is why the Himalayas act as a wall against cold Central Asian winds and make the monsoon drop its rain inside India.
Example
The arc ends at two sharp bends. In the west it bends at Nanga Parbat, where the Indus cuts a gorge. In the east it bends at Namcha Barwa in Tibet, where the Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) cuts a gorge and the ranges turn south into the north–south Purvachal hills.
Don't confuse with
- "Southwest to northwest" in Arunachal: this is a misprint in NCERT. In Arunachal Pradesh the ranges run southwest to northeast.