Aravalli Range
The 500-mile-long Aravalli Range (meaning "line of peaks") runs from Champaner and Palanpur in eastern Gujarat to the outskirts of Delhi. About 80 percent of it is situated in Rajasthan, where it borders the Thar desert and provides protection from the extreme desert climate. The highest peak is Guru Shikhar at Mount Abu, near the Gujarat border, with an elevation of 5,650 feet above sea level. However, most of the hills are concentrated in the area around Udaipur. Mewar rulers used this to their advantage by constructing immense forts, such as Chittorgarh and Kumbhalgarh, in strategic places. There are many other forts and palaces dotted through the range, as well as tourist destinations including Bundi, Bera (popular for leopard spotting) and Pushkar (where the famous annual camel fair is held). As one of the oldest fold mountain ranges (formed when tectonic plates are pushed together) in the world, the Aravalli Range has an extensive history. Archeologists have uncovered evidence of civilization dating back to the Stone Age. Unfortunately, these days, the range is being degraded by deforestation and illegal mining.
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Vindhya Range
The Vindhya Range runs across central India on the northern side of the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh. It extends more than 675 miles from Jobat in Gujarat to Sasaram in Bihar. Technically, it's not a single mountain range but chains of hills, ridges and plateaus. This is particularly so after it divides and branches east of Madhya Pradesh's Malwa region. The general elevation of the Vindhya Range is around 980-2,100 feet above sea level, with peaks rarely going over 2,300 feet. The tallest is Kalumar Peak, at 2,467 feet above sea level in the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh. The range's sandstone structure is largely responsible for its stunted height. However, the ancient Hindu epic "The Ramayana" says that the mountains deliberately reduced their size to please revered Vedic sage Agastya, after they grew so big they blocked the sun's path.
Several ancient Hindu texts mention the Vindhya Range as the dividing line between Sanskrit-speaking Aryans in the north and indigenous Dravidians in the south. Evidence of prehistoric activity has also been found in the area, including India's highest concentration of prehistoric paintings in the Bhimbetka caves at the foothills near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Mandu is another popular tourist destination. This abandoned city from the Mughal era is perched on a plateau 2,079 feet above sea level about two hours southwest of Indore.
Fun Fact: The Vindhya Range and the Himalayas are the only two mountain ranges to be mentioned in the national anthem of India.