Two mountain ranges forming the edges of the Deccan plateau in southern India.
The Eastern Ghats extend about 500 mi (800 km) along the southeastern and eastern coast north to the mouth of the Mahanadi River; their average elevation is about 2,000 ft (600 m). The Western Ghats run 800 mi (1,290 km) along the southwestern and western coast north to the mouth of the Tapti River; their elevations range from 3,000 ft (900 m) to 5,000 ft (1,500 m). Because they receive heavy rainfall during the monsoon season, the Western Ghats comprise peninsular India's principal watershed.