Satpura Range
On the southern side of the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh, the Satpura Range runs parallel to the Vindhya Range in between the Namarda and Tapti rivers. It extends for about 560 miles from the Rajpipla Hills in Gujarat to the Maikala Hills in Chhattisgarh (where it meets the Vindhya Range at Amarkantak). The Satpura Range is higher than the Vindhya Range, with peaks reaching over 4,000 feet in the heavily forested Mahadeo Hills at Pachmarhi. The highest one is Dhupgarh, at 4,400 feet above the sea level. This is the tallest peak in central India.
Pachmarhi is the only hill station in Madhya Pradesh and numerous Bollywood movies have been filmed there. It's known for its cave temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. According to the ancient Hindu epic "The Mahabharata", they were built by the Pandava brothers during their exile. The most important temple in the area sits atop Chauragarh Peak, at about 4,363 feet above sea level. The peak also has a fort that served as capital of the Gond dynasty in the 16th century. Sunrises are spectacular from there but be prepared for an arduous climb up more than a thousands steps to reach the top! The rugged terrain of Satpura National Park is popular for nature, wildlife and adventure activities such as trekking.
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Western Ghats
The lengthy Western Ghats runs for approximately 5,250 miles along the western side of India, separating the coast from the Deccan plains. It extends from near the Satpura Range in Gujarat down through Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu to end at the southernmost tip of India near Kanyakumari. The Western Ghats is made up of multiple mountain ranges, with more than 70 peaks varying in height from 1,713 feet to 8,842 feet above sea level. Almost a third of them are above 6,561 feet, with most of these being in Kerala. The highest is Anamudi, in the Anaimalai Hills on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Other major ranges in the Western Ghats are the Sahyadri mountains in Maharashtra, Cardamom Hills in Kerala, and Nilgiri mountains in Tamil Nadu. These mountains influence India's weather by acting as a barrier against the southwest monsoon clouds and drawing much of the rainfall.
However, what really makes the Western Ghats remarkable is its biodiversity. The mountains are home to about 30 percent of India's flora and fauna species, and are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the top biodiversity hot-spots in the world. National parks such as Mollem, Periyar, Silent Valley, Nagarhole, Bandipur, and Mudumulai are popular. Other tourist places include Matheran, Mahabaleshwar, Wayanad, Munnar, Ooty, Coonoor, Coorg, and Kodaikanal. Riding the historic Nilgiri Mountain Railway toy train up to Ooty is a memorable experience.