Mountain Passes in Western and Eastern Ghats India : General Knowledge

Mountain Passes in Peninsular India

Amba ghat (pronounced as Aamba ghat) is a mountain pass on Ratnagiri-Kolhapur road (NH 204) in Maharashtra, India, at a height of 2000 ft above sea-level,This ghat lies in the Sahyadri mountain ranges (Western Ghats) and has picturesque mountain-scapes and a pleasant climate. It is situated near Shahuwadi, Kolhapur district,and has nearby interesting places are Pawankhind and Vishalgad fort (including Rehan Baba Dargah). It is a convenient weekend destination for Kolhapur tourists.

Palakkad Gap is a 30-40 kilometers (19–25 miles) wide low mountain pass in the Western Ghats, near Palakkad town (previously known as Palghat) in the South Indian State of Kerala. 

It has an elevation of 300 metres (980 ft). The gap is the lowest pass through the Western Ghats. It is also the only break in that stretch of the Ghats that otherwise runs along the entire eastern edge of Kerala, isolating the State from neighbouring Tamil Nadu. It acts as a corridor between the two States by linking Palakkad District of Kerala with Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu, and has served as a vital part of the important trade route between the East and West coasts of peninsular India since ancient times. Palakkad Fort, stands as a reminder of the strategic importance the gap once had as a gateway to Kerala for would be invaders from the other side of the Ghats. The gap is important to the climate of southern India in that it allows the moisture-laden Southwest monsoon winds into the Coimbatore region, which moderates Coimbatore's summer temperatures and generates greater rainfall in the region relative to the rest of lowland Tamil Nadu. At the same time, due to hot winds coming from Tamil Nadu, the district of Palakkad is warmer than the rest of Kerala during summer.Both the NH 47 highway and the Coimbatore-Shornur rail link joining Kerala to Tamil Nadu pass through this gap.

Bhor Ghat or Bor Ghat: Bhore Ghaut is a mountain passage located between Karjat and Khandala in Maharashtra, India along the railway line and between Khopoli and Khandala for road Old Mumbai Pune Road and the Mumbai Pune Expressway.

(Read About Mountain Passes in Himalayas)

Chorla Ghat pass is a nature destination located on the intersection of the borders of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra. It lies to the north-east of Panaji, Goa (about 50 kilometers by road). It is a part of the Western Ghats in the Sahyadri mountain range and is at an elevation of 800 meters. Chorla ghat boasts of a few rare species of wild-life such as the barred wolf snake (Lycodon striatus) in its sub-tropical forests.

Kasara ghat Pass (also called as Thal Ghat or Thul Ghat) is a ghat section (mountain incline or slope) in the Western Ghats near the town of Kasara in Maharashtra. The Kasara Ghat is located on the busy Mumbai–Nashik route, and is one of the four major routes, rail and road routes, leading into the Mumbai. The railway line, which passes through the ghat is the steepest in India with a gradient of 1 in 37.

The Kumbharli Ghat pass is a mountain pass in Maharashtra, India cutting across the Western Ghats range. It connects the coastal Ratnagiri District Konkan region of Maharashtra with the Satara District Desh region on the Deccan plateau. It is one of few link roads between the Konkan and Ghatmaatha in Maharashtra. The road, a state highway, is at an average elevation of 625 m (2,051 ft). It links the cities of Chiplun (Ratnagiri district) and Karad (Satara district). Near the eastern end is the Koyna Dam.

Malshej Ghat Pass : is a mountain pass in the Western Ghats range in the Thane district of Maharashtra, India. The site is nestled in the lofty rugged hills of the Western Ghats. It is notorious for landslides during monsoons.

Nane ghat pass : Naneghat is a mountain pass in the Western Ghats range near Junnar in Pune district of Maharashtra, India. During the reign of the Satavahana (200 BCE–190 CE), the pass was extensively used as a trade route between Kalyan and Junnar. Literally, the name nane means "coin" and ghat means "pass". The name is given because this path was used as a tollbooth to collect toll from traders crossing the hills.

Varandha Ghat Pass is a mountain passage located between NH4 and Konkan in Maharashtra, India for road traffic. Situated on the crest of the Western Ghat mountain ranges, Varandha Ghat is noted for its surroundings comprising scenic waterfalls, lakes and dense wood.

Haldighati Pass is a mountain pass in the Aravalli Range of Rajasthan in western India. It connects Rajsamand and Pali districts, 40 kilometres from Udaipur. The name is believed to have come from the turmeric-coloured yellow soil (Turmeric is haldi in Hindi). The mountain pass is historically significant as the location of the historic Battle of Haldighati, which took place in 1576 between Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and Raja Man Singh of Amber, general of the Mughal emperor Akbar.

Asirgarh Qila Pass is an Indian fortress (qila) situated in the Satpura Range, about 20 km north of the city of Burhanpur, in Burhanpur District of Madhya Pradesh state. Because the fortress commands a pass through the Satpuras connecting the valleys of the Narmada and Tapti rivers, one of the most important routes from northern India to the Deccan,it was known as the "key to the Deccan". During Mughal Era, it was considered that Deccan starts from here: the empire from Asirgarh to Delhi was considered as Hindustan. The fort was built by Asa Ahir of the Ahir dynasty.

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