The Hills and Mountain Ranges of Northeast India have two different geological and physiographical units. In the northeastern part of the region hills and ranges is part of the Himalayas Mountain. On the other hand, the southwestern part of the region's hills and ranges is the production of the Peninsular Plateau.
There are hundreds of mountain hills in Northeastern India. if we categorized them with Macro, Meso, and Micro Hills. In the following discussion of this article, we have just covered the mountain ranges and regions which have the most important hills of those regions.
1. Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya or Mahabharata Range
1.1 Singalila Range
1.2 Donkhya Range
2. Arunachal Himalaya
2.1 The Greater Himalayas Range
2.2 Dafla Hills
2.3 Miri Hills
2.4 Mishmi Hills
3. Patkai-Purvanchal Range
3.1 Patkai Hills
3.2 Naga Hills
3.3 Manipur Hills
3.4 Mizo Hills or Lushai hills
3.5 Tripura Hills or Jampui Hills
4. Barail Range
4.1 NC Hills
5. Karbi-Meghalaya Plateau Region
5.1 Mikir Hills
5.2 Khasi Hills
5.3 Garo Hills
5.4 Jaintia Hills
Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya part of the Mahabharata Range
The Sikkim-Darjeeling Himalaya contains the stretch of tectonically active Eastern Himalaya. It is composed of three main tectonic units: Higher Himalaya, Lower Himalaya, and Siwaliks separated by thrusts but joined by a great fluvial system of the Tista River. The Higher Himalaya with relief up to 2,000–4,000 m was uplifted by about 2,000 m in the Quaternary rising above the snowline.[1]
This notable mountain range has divided into two; The Singalila Range separates Sikkim from Nepal in the west, while the Dongkya range forms the border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the east.
Singalila Range
The Singalila Ridge is a north-south mountain ridge running
from north-western West Bengal through Sikkim in the Indian part of The Himalayas. The district of Ilam in Nepal falls on the western part of this
ridge.
The Singalila range receives heavy precipitation from the
monsoon and is covered with hundreds of feet thick ice. The avalanches are an
ever-present source of danger in part of Sikkim.
Donkhya Range
The outstanding feature of the Donkhya range is the immense luxuriance and the variety of vegetation and the forests are still virgins.
Arunachal Himalaya
The Arunachal Himalayas form the eastern frontier of the eastern Himalayas. The Namcha Barwa massif on the extreme east of the Indian
state of Arunachal Pradesh is the accepted easternmost point of the Himalayas.
Earlier this region was known by the term Assam Himalayas, but the creation
of the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) and Arunachal Pradeshrendered this term
obsolete.
Arunachal Himalaya is again divided into the following hills-
The Greater or Higher Himalayas
The Greater or Higher Himalayas is a zone of very high relief with heights greater than 6000m having precipitous slopes and deep gorges. This zone is generally devoid of vegetation. Its southern limits are defined by the Main Central Thrust.[2]
Dafla Hills
The Dafla Hills are part of the lesser Himalayas of the Kameng
district. The Daflas constitute more than 44 % of the total tribal population
of the Kameng district. Also called Bangnis, they belong to the wild eastern
part of the district which has recently been brought under administration. In
the western part of the district, the Monpas are gentle and courteous people who
cultivate on terraces.
Miri Hills
The Miri Hills are also part of the lesser Himalayas. the hill
Miri people accompanied by the groups of Dafalas and Tagins live in the wild
and desolate hill of the Subansiri district, whereas the north-western part is
occupied by more cultured and settled agriculturists.
Mishmi Hills
The Mishmi Hills are located at the north-eastern tip of
India, in north-eastern Arunachal Pradesh. On the Chinese side, they form the
southern parts of Nyingchi Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
The Himalayan arc takes a sharp turn and meets Indo-Burma ranges. The rocks of the eastern lesser Himalaya and the central crystallines appear to be largely attenuated and truncated in Mishmi Hills.[3]
Patkai-Purvanchal Range
Patkai Hills
The Patkai hill range is part of the Arakan Mountains and is not as rugged as the Himalayas and the peaks are much lower. Features of the range include conical peaks, steep slopes, and deep valleys.
The Patkai or Patkai Bum is the hills on India's north-eastern border with Burma or Myanmar. They were created by the same tectonic processes that created the Himalayas in the Mesozoic.
Patkai Range, the highest mountain range of the State attaining a height of 3,840 meters at Saramati traverses the extreme eastern high hill ranges.
It takes a north-south course separating the State of Nagaland from Burma and also acts as a watershed between the rivers of India and Burma.
Tizu is the only major river of Nagaland that crosses the range and empties itself on the eastern side of the Chindwin Drainage System of Burma. The western side of the Patkai Range falls in India.[6]
Naga Hills
It is located in India extending into Myanmar
which forms a divide between India and Myanmar.
These are built up mostly by the thick sequence of Cenozoic and late Mesozoic sediments. These sediments are bounded on the eastern side by an ophiolite complex and shelf sediments along the eastern periphery of the State bordering Burma. In the western part of the State, the most prominent morpho-tectonic sedimentary crustal block is the 'Belt of Schuppen’.[4]
Manipur Hills
It is located in the north of Nagaland, Mizoram in the south, upper Myanmar in the east, and Assam in the westbound Manipur Hills.
The average
elevations vary between 5,000 and 6,000 feet (1,500 and 1,800 meters), although
the hills in the north rise above 9,500 feet (2,900 meters). In the west, the
Surma River, known as the Barak River in Manipur, has cut a narrow steep-sided valley through the West Manipur Hills as it flows to join the Meghna River in
Bangladesh.
Lushai Hills
Lushai Hills also known as Mizo Hills. It is located in south-eastern Mizoram state, north-eastern India, forming part of the north Arakan Yoma system. The range is part of the Patkai range system and its highest point is 2,157 m high Phawngpui, also known as 'Blue Mountain'.
The Lushai Hills
rise to about 7,000 feet (2,125 meters) and their slopes are covered with
thick evergreen forests containing valuable timber and bamboo. In the
intermontane valleys, shifting (slash-and-burn) agriculture and some terrace
cultivation are practiced.
Jampui Hills
Jampui hills also known as Tripura Hills. These hills are a series of parallel north-south folds, decreasing in elevation to the south until they merge into the greater Ganges-Brahmaputra lowlands (also called the Eastern Plains). Each successive ridge of hills to the east rises higher than the one before; the low Deotamura Range is followed by the Artharamura, Langtarai, and Sakhan Tlang ranges.
Jampui Hills is situated at about 200 Km. away from Agartala and is the highest hill range in the state bordering Mizoram. This permanent seat of eternal spring is situated at an altitude of 3000’ above sea level.
During November every year, the unique Orange & Tourism festival is celebrated in Jampui hill. A large number of tourists, both domestic and foreign, participate and enjoy this festival. The rainy season is no less charming.
During this season the hill is covered with floating clouds and it
provides a rare experience for tourists. The formation of clouds at the
bottom of the hill range and its gradual ascendance from the bottom to the top
slowly engulfing the whole hill range in its mystic lap is an experience to
treasure.
There are 10 small villages in Jampui hills and most of the
inhabitants are the Mizo community. The villages are (from North to South)
Vaisam, Hmawngchuan, Hmunpui, Tlaksih, Vanghmun, Behliangchhip, Bangla Zion,
Tlangsang, Sabual, and Phuldungsei.
Barail Range
The Barail Range is a group of a mountain or high ridges and a watershed between the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers. The terrain ranges from
flat and undulating in the river valleys, to mountainous with steep slopes.
Located in the Dima Hasao district of Assam.
The Barail range is a tertiary mountain range
topographically bridging the Archaean Meghalaya Plateau with the tertiary Naga
Hills which is the south-western projection of the Himalayas.
The Barail Range of Assam covering the N.C Hills district
are the westward continuation of the Barail range stretching from Tuensang
across Nagaland.
The Barail range divides the N.C Hills into two parts-the
northern part falls under the Brahmaputra basin and the southern part falls
under the Barak basin.
Hills of Karbi-Meghalaya Plateau
Karbi- Meghalaya plateau is a part of the Deccan plateau of
the southern peninsular plateau region. Situated in Northeast India covering
the whole Indian state of Meghalaya and the Karbianglong district of Assam. the plateau consists of four major hills viz, Mikir, Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia Hills.
Mikir Hills
The Mikir Hills area lies on the extreme east of the
Meghalaya Plateau (Physiographically the Mikir Hills is included within the Meghalaya Plateau) and is near the central part of the
Brahmaputra valley. As such, It is under a somewhat rain-shadow effect, being
situated on the leeward side of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills.[5]
Khasi Hills
Khasi Hills, physiographic region, central Meghalaya state,
northeastern India. The area consists mostly of hilly regions and includes the
Shillong Plateau; it is drained by tributaries of the Brahmaputra and Surma
rivers.
Geographically famous for being the wettest place on earth
and also Shillong, one of the most beautiful hill stations in India. In fact, the
entire Khasi Hills region that forms the central part of Meghalaya is richly endowed
with natural beauty. Everywhere you go, you will never cease to be mystified by
the spectacular charm the state offers.
Garo Hills
Garo Hills having an area of approximately 8,000 sq km. is densely forested and hence one of the richest spots in biodiversity.
The Garos predominantly inhabiting the three districts of
the State namely East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills, and South Garo Hills are
basically superstitious, believe in spirits, and have rich traditional tales of
myths and legends. To the Garos everything interesting and unnatural
has to have a lore of some kind.
Jaintia Hills
The Jaintia Hills in the State of Meghalaya are bounded on the North and East by the State of Assam. On the South by Bangladesh and on the West by East Khasi Hills District. The total area is 3,819 sq. km. having a population of 2,95,692 (2001 Census).
A land of undulating hills rich in mineral deposits. The natural vegetation changes according to the topography of the land kingdom of Jaintiapur now in present-day Bangladesh