The Aravalli Range (also spelled ''Aravali'') is a mountain range in

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating ...

Western India Western India is a loosely defined region of India consisting of western states of India, Republic of India. The Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Ministry of Home Affairs in its Western Zonal Council Administrative divisions of India, Adminis ...

, running approximately in a south-west direction, starting near

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

, passing through southern

Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...

and

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

, and ending in Ahmedabad,

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

. The highest peak is

Guru Shikhar Guru Shikhar, a peak in the Arbuda Mountains of Sirohi district in Rajasthan, is the highest point of the Aravalli Range, Rajasthan, and Western India. It rises to an elevation of . It is 75 km from Sirohi, Sirohi city, the district headqu ...

on Mount Abu at . The Aravalli Range is one of the oldest geological features on

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

, dating to the

Proterozoic The Proterozoic ( ) is the third of the four geologic eons of Earth's history, spanning the time interval from 2500 to 538.8 Mya, and is the longest eon of Earth's geologic time scale. It is preceded by the Archean and followed by the Phanerozo ...

era. The Aravalli Range is rich in

natural resource Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...

s and serves to check the growth of the western desert.

Etymology

Aravalli, a composite

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

word from the roots ''"ara"'' and ''"vali"'', literally means the ''"line of peaks"''.

Natural history

Geology

The Aravalli Range, an eroded stub of ancient mountains, is believed to be the oldest range of

fold mountains Fold mountains are formed by the effects of folding on layers within the upper part of the Earth's crust. Before the development of the theory of plate tectonics and before the internal architecture of thrust belts became well understood, the te ...

in India.Roy, A. B. (1990). Evolution of the Precambrian crust of the Aravalli Range. Developments in Precambrian Geology, 8, 327–347. The

natural history Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

of the Aravalli Range dates back to times when the

Indian Plate The Indian plate (or India plate) is or was a minor tectonic plate straddling the equator in the Eastern Hemisphere. Originally a part of the ancient continent of Gondwana, the Indian plate broke away from the other fragments of Gondwana an ...

was separated from the Eurasian Plate by an ocean. The Proterozoic Aravalli-Delhi

orogenic belt An orogenic belt, orogen, or mobile belt, is a zone of Earth's crust affected by orogeny. An orogenic belt develops when a continental plate crumples and is uplifted to form one or more mountain ranges; this involves a series of geological proc ...

in northwest India is similar to the younger Himalayan-type orogenic belts of the

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era is the Era (geology), era of Earth's Geologic time scale, geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Period (geology), Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian r ...

Cenozoic The Cenozoic Era ( ; ) is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66million years of Earth's history. It is characterized by the dominance of mammals, insects, birds and angiosperms (flowering plants). It is the latest of three g ...

era (of the

Phanerozoic The Phanerozoic is the current and the latest of the four eon (geology), geologic eons in the Earth's geologic time scale, covering the time period from 538.8 million years ago to the present. It is the eon during which abundant animal and ...

) in terms of component parts and appears to have passed through a near-orderly Wilson supercontinental cycle of events. The range rose in a

Precambrian The Precambrian ( ; or pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pC, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of t ...

event called the Aravalli- Delhi Orogen. The Aravalli Range is a northeast–southwest trending orogenic belt located in the northwestern part of Indian Peninsula. It is part of the

Indian Shield The Indian Shield is part of the Indian Craton and occupies two-thirds of the southern Indian peninsula. The shield has remained relatively stable since its formation, over 3.5 billion years ago. It is bounded on the west, south and east by the ...

that formed from a series of

craton A craton ( , , or ; from "strength") is an old and stable part of the continental lithosphere, which consists of Earth's two topmost layers, the crust and the uppermost mantle. Having often survived cycles of merging and rifting of contine ...

ic collisions.Mishra, D.C.; Kumar, M. Ravi. Proterozoic orogenic belts and rifting of Indian cratons: Geophysical constraints. Geoscience Frontiers. 2013 March. 5: 25–41. In ancient times, Aravalli were extremely high but since have worn down almost completely from millions of years of

weathering Weathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals (as well as wood and artificial materials) through contact with water, atmospheric gases, sunlight, and biological organisms. It occurs '' in situ'' (on-site, with little or no move ...

, whereas the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

, young fold mountains, are still continuously rising. Aravalli have stopped growing higher due to the cessation of upward thrust caused by the

tectonic plates Plate tectonics (, ) is the scientific theory that the Earth's lithosphere comprises a number of large tectonic plates, which have been slowly moving since 3–4 billion years ago. The model builds on the concept of , an idea developed durin ...

in the

Earth's crust Earth's crust is its thick outer shell of rock, referring to less than one percent of the planet's radius and volume. It is the top component of the lithosphere, a solidified division of Earth's layers that includes the crust and the upper ...

below them. The Aravalli Range joins two of the ancient Earth's crust segments that make up the greater Indian

, the

Aravalli Craton India is situated north of the equator between 8°4' north (the Mainland India, mainland) to 37°6' north latitude and 68°7' east to 97°25' east longitude.#Yearbook, India Yearbook, p. 1 It is the List of countries and outlying territories ...

which is the

Marwar Marwar (also called Jodhpur region) is a region of western Rajasthan state in North Western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. 'Maru' is a Sanskrit word for desert. The word 'wad' literally means fence in Rajasthani languages. Engl ...

segment of Earth's crust to the northwest of the Aravalli Range, and the

Bundelkand Craton India is situated north of the equator between 8°4' north (the mainland) to 37°6' north latitude and 68°7' east to 97°25' east longitude. India Yearbook, p. 1 It is the seventh-largest country in the world, with a total area of . Total a ...

segment of the Earth's crust to the southeast of the Aravalli Range. Cratons, generally found in the interiors of tectonic plates, are old and stable parts of the continental

lithosphere A lithosphere () is the rigid, outermost rocky shell of a terrestrial planet or natural satellite. On Earth, it is composed of the crust and the lithospheric mantle, the topmost portion of the upper mantle that behaves elastically on time ...

that have remained relatively undeformed during the cycles of merging and rifting of continents. Subduction-en

It consists of two main

sequences In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is call ...

formed in the

eon Eon, EON or Eons may refer to: Time * Aeon, an indefinite long period of time * Eon (geology), a division of the geologic time scale Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Eon, in the 2007 film '' Ben 10: Race Against Time'' * Eon, i ...

metasedimentary rock In geology, metasedimentary rock is a type of metamorphic rock. Such a rock was first formed through the deposition and solidification of sediment Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occu ...

(sedimentary rocks

metamorphosed Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causi ...

under pressure and heat without melting) and

metavolcanic rock Metavolcanic rock is volcanic rock that shows signs of having experienced metamorphism. In other words, the rock was originally produced by a volcano, either as lava or tephra. The rock was then subjected to high pressure, high temperature or both ...

(metamorphosed volcanic rocks) sequences of the Aravalli Supergroup and Delhi Supergroup. These two supergroups rest over the Archean Bhilwara Gneissic Complex basement, which is a

gneiss Gneiss (pronounced ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under p ...

ic (high-grade metamorphism of sedimentary or igneous rocks)

basement A basement is any Storey, floor of a building that is not above the grade plane. Especially in residential buildings, it often is used as a utility space for a building, where such items as the Furnace (house heating), furnace, water heating, ...

formed during the

archean The Archean ( , also spelled Archaean or Archæan), in older sources sometimes called the Archaeozoic, is the second of the four geologic eons of Earth's history of Earth, history, preceded by the Hadean Eon and followed by the Proterozoic and t ...

4 Ga ago. It started as an inverted basin, that rifted and pulled apart into

granitoid A granitoid is a broad term referring to a diverse group of coarse-grained igneous rocks that are widely distributed across the globe, covering a significant portion of the Earth's exposed surface and constituting a large part of the continental ...

, initially during Aravalli passive rifting around 2.5 to 2.0 Ga years ago and then during Delhi active rifting around 1.9 to 1.6 Ga years ago. It started with rifting of a rigid Archaean continent banded gneissic complex around 2.2 Ga with the coexisting formation of the Bhilwara

aulacogen An aulacogen is a failed arm of a triple junction. Aulacogens are a part of plate tectonics where oceanic and continental crust is continuously being created, destroyed, and rearranged on the Earth’s surface. Rift zones are places where new c ...

in its eastern part and eventual rupturing and separation of the continent along a line parallel to the Rakhabdev (Rishabhdev) lineament to the west, simultaneous development of a

passive continental margin A continental margin is the outer edge of continental crust abutting oceanic crust under coastal waters. It is one of the three major zones of the ocean floor, the other two being deep-ocean basins and mid-ocean ridges. The continental margi ...

with the undersea shelf rise sediments of the Aravalli-Jharol belts depositing on the attenuated crust on the eastern flank of the separated continent, subsequent destruction of the continental margin by

accretion Accretion may refer to: Science * Accretion (astrophysics), the formation of planets and other bodies by collection of material through gravity * Accretion (meteorology), the process by which water vapor in clouds forms water droplets around nucl ...

of the Delhi

island arc Island arcs are long archipelago, chains of active volcanoes with intense earthquake, seismic activity found along convergent boundary, convergent plate tectonics, tectonic plate boundaries. Most island arcs originate on oceanic crust and have re ...

(a type of archipelago composed of an arc-shaped chain of volcanoes closely situated parallel to a

convergent boundary A convergent boundary (also known as a destructive boundary) is an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide. One plate eventually slides beneath the other, a process known as subduction. The subduction zone can be defined by a ...

between two converging tectonic plates) from the west around 1.5 Ga. This tectonic plates collision event involved early thrusting with partial

obduction Obduction is a geological process whereby denser oceanic crust (and even upper mantle) is scraped off a descending ocean plate at a convergent plate boundary and thrust on top of an adjacent plate. When oceanic and continental plates converge, ...

(overthrusting of oceanic lithosphere onto continental lithosphere at a convergent plate boundary) of the

oceanic crust Oceanic crust is the uppermost layer of the oceanic portion of the tectonic plates. It is composed of the upper oceanic crust, with pillow lavas and a dike complex, and the lower oceanic crust, composed of troctolite, gabbro and ultramaf ...

along the Rakhabdev lineament, flattening and eventual wrenching (also called strike-slip plate fault, sideways horizontal movement of colliding plates with no vertical motion) parallel to the collision zone. Associated mafic igneous rocks show both continental and oceanic tholeiitic geochemistry (magnesium and iron-rich igneous rocks) from

phanerozoic The Phanerozoic is the current and the latest of the four eon (geology), geologic eons in the Earth's geologic time scale, covering the time period from 538.8 million years ago to the present. It is the eon during which abundant animal and ...

eon (541–0 million) with rift-related

magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma (sometimes colloquially but incorrectly referred to as ''lava'') is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also ...

tic rock formations. The Aravalli-Delhi Orogen is an

orogen An orogenic belt, orogen, or mobile belt, is a zone of Earth's crust affected by orogeny. An orogenic belt develops when a continental plate crumples and is uplifted to form one or more mountain ranges; this involves a series of geological proc ...

event that led to a large structural deformation of the Earth's lithosphere (crust and uppermost mantle, such as Aravalli and Himalayas fold mountains) due to the interaction between tectonic plates when a continental plate is crumpled and is pushed upwards to form mountain ranges, and involve a great range of geological processes collectively called

orogenesis Orogeny () is a mountain-building process that takes place at a convergent plate margin when plate motion compresses the margin. An or develops as the compressed plate crumples and is uplifted to form one or more mountain ranges. This involv ...

Minerals

The archean basement had served as a rigid indentor which controlled the overall wedge shaped geometry of the orogen.

Lithology The lithology of a rock unit is a description of its physical characteristics visible at outcrop, in hand or core samples, or with low magnification microscopy. Physical characteristics include colour, texture, grain size, and composition. Lit ...

of area shows that the base rocks of Aravalli are of Mewar Gneiss formed by high-grade regional

metamorphic Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causi ...

processes from preexisting formations that were originally

sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock (geology), rock formed by the cementation (geology), cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or de ...

with earliest life form that were formed during the

eon, these contain fossils of

unicellular organism A unicellular organism, also known as a single-celled organism, is an organism that consists of a single cell, unlike a multicellular organism that consists of multiple cells. Organisms fall into two general categories: prokaryotic organisms and ...

such as

green algae The green algae (: green alga) are a group of chlorophyll-containing autotrophic eukaryotes consisting of the phylum Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister group that contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/ Streptophyta. The land plants ...

and

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria ( ) are a group of autotrophic gram-negative bacteria that can obtain biological energy via oxygenic photosynthesis. The name "cyanobacteria" () refers to their bluish green (cyan) color, which forms the basis of cyanobacteri ...

stromatolitic Stromatolites ( ) or stromatoliths () are layered sedimentary formations (microbialite) that are created mainly by photosynthetic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria, and Pseudomonadota (formerly proteobacteria). T ...

carbonate ocean reefs formed during the

paleoproterozoic The Paleoproterozoic Era (also spelled Palaeoproterozoic) is the first of the three sub-divisions ( eras) of the Proterozoic eon, and also the longest era of the Earth's geological history, spanning from (2.5–1.6 Ga). It is further sub ...

era An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

Sedimentary exhalative deposits Sedimentary exhalative deposits (SEDEX or SedEx deposits) are zinc-lead deposits originally interpreted to have been formed by discharge of metal-bearing basinal fluids onto the seafloor resulting in the precipitation of mainly Stratum, stra ...

base metal A base metal is a common and inexpensive metal, as opposed to a precious metal such as gold or silver. In numismatics, coins often derived their value from the precious metal content; however, base metals have also been used in coins in the past ...

sulfide Sulfide (also sulphide in British English) is an inorganic anion of sulfur with the chemical formula S2− or a compound containing one or more S2− ions. Solutions of sulfide salts are corrosive. ''Sulfide'' also refers to large families o ...

ores formed extensively along several, long, linear zones in the Bhilwara aulacogen or produced local concentration in the rifted Aravalli continental margin, where rich stromatolitic

phosphorite Phosphorite, phosphate rock or rock phosphate is a non-detrital sedimentary rock that contains high amounts of phosphate minerals. The phosphate content of phosphorite (or grade of phosphate rock) varies greatly, from 4% to 20% phosphorus pentoxi ...

s also formed.

Tectonic evolution of the Aravalli Mountains The Aravalli Mountain Range is a northeast-southwest trending orogenic belt in the northwest part of India and is part of the Indian Shield that was formed from a series of cratonic collisions.Mishra, D.C.; Kumar, M. Ravi. Proterozoic orogen ...

shows Mewar Gneiss rocks are overlain by Delhi Supergroup type of rocks that also have post-Aravalli intrusions. Metal sulfide ores were formed in two different epochs, lead and zinc sulfide ores were formed in the sedimentary rocks around 1.8 Ga years ago during

Paleoproterozoic The Paleoproterozoic Era (also spelled Palaeoproterozoic) is the first of the three sub-divisions ( eras) of the Proterozoic eon, and also the longest era of the Earth's geological history, spanning from (2.5–1.6 Ga). It is further sub ...

phase. The tectonic setting of zinc-lead-copper sulfides mineralisation in the Delhi supergroup rocks in Haryana-Delhi were formed by

mantle plume A mantle plume is a proposed mechanism of convection within the Earth's mantle, hypothesized to explain anomalous volcanism. Because the plume head partially melts on reaching shallow depths, a plume is often invoked as the cause of volcanic ho ...

volcanic action around one billion years ago covering Haryana and Rajasthan during the

mesoproterozoic The Mesoproterozoic Era is a geologic era that occurred from . The Mesoproterozoic was the first era of Earth's history for which a fairly definitive geological record survives. Continents existed during the preceding era (the Paleoproterozoic ...

. In the southern part of the Aravalli supergroup arc base metal sulfides were generated near the subduction zone on the western fringe and in zones of back-arc extension to the south-east. Continued subduction produced

tungsten Tungsten (also called wolfram) is a chemical element; it has symbol W and atomic number 74. It is a metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively in compounds with other elements. It was identified as a distinct element in 1781 and first ...

tin Tin is a chemical element; it has symbol Sn () and atomic number 50. A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, a bar of tin makes a sound, the ...

mineralisation in S-type (sedimentary unmetamorphosed rock),

felsic In geology, felsic is a grammatical modifier, modifier describing igneous rocks that are relatively rich in elements that form feldspar and quartz.Marshak, Stephen, 2009, ''Essentials of Geology,'' W. W. Norton & Company, 3rd ed. It is contrasted ...

(volcanic rock), and

pluton In geology, an igneous intrusion (or intrusive body or simply intrusion) is a body of intrusive igneous rock that forms by crystallization of magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth. Intrusions have a wide variety of forms and com ...

s (crystallised solidified magma). This includes commercially viable quantities of minerals, such as

rock phosphate Phosphorite, phosphate rock or rock phosphate is a non- detrital sedimentary rock that contains high amounts of phosphate minerals. The phosphate content of phosphorite (or grade of phosphate rock) varies greatly, from 4% to 20% phosphorus pentox ...

lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

zinc Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

mineral deposits at

Zawar Zawar is a settlement located in Udaipur district, Rajasthan, India, approximately 40 km from the lake city Udaipur. It stretches some 10 kilometers along the banks of the Gomati River. It is close to Dhebar Lake, India's second largest ...

, Rikahbdev

serpentinite Serpentinite is a metamorphic rock composed predominantly of serpentine group minerals formed by serpentinization of mafic or ultramafic rocks. The ancient origin of the name is uncertain; it may be from the similarity of its texture or color ...

talc Talc, or talcum, is a clay mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate, with the chemical formula . Talc in powdered form, often combined with corn starch, is used as baby powder. This mineral is used as a thickening agent and lubricant ...

pyrophyllite Pyrophyllite is a phyllosilicate mineral composed of aluminium silicate hydroxide: Al2Si4O10(OH)2. It occurs in two forms (habits): crystalline folia and compact masses; distinct crystals are not known. The folia have a pronounced pearly luster ...

asbestos Asbestos ( ) is a group of naturally occurring, Toxicity, toxic, carcinogenic and fibrous silicate minerals. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous Crystal habit, crystals, each fibre (particulate with length su ...

apatite Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals, usually hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite and chlorapatite, with high concentrations of Hydroxide, OH−, Fluoride, F− and Chloride, Cl− ion, respectively, in the crystal. The formula of the admixture of ...

kyanite Kyanite is a typically blue aluminosilicate mineral, found in aluminium-rich metamorphic pegmatites and sedimentary rock. It is the high pressure Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of andalusite and sillimanite, and the presence of kyani ...

and

beryl Beryl ( ) is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium Silicate minerals#Cyclosilicates, silicate with the chemical formula Be3Al2(SiO3)6. Well-known varieties of beryl include emerald and Aquamarine (gem), aquamarine. Naturally occurring Hex ...

.M. Deb and Wayne David Goodfellow, 2004
"Sediment Hosted Lead-Zinc Sulphide Deposits"Narosa Publishing
, pp 260.Naveed Qamar

.

Mining

Mining of copper and other metals in the Aravalli range dates back to at least the 5th century BCE, based on

carbon dating Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. The method was ...

.SM Gandhi (2000) Chapter 2 – Ancient Mining and Metallurgy in Rajasthan, Crustal Evolution and Metallogeny in the Northwestern Indian Shield: A Festschrift for Asoke Mookherjee, Recent research indicates that copper was already mined here during the

Sothi Sotha is a village in Haryana, India. Demography In 2011, it had 334 families with a population of 1716. Location The Neolithic Sothi (archaeology) site is located near Nohar in Rajasthan, about 120 km west-south-west of Sothi. The im ...

Siswal Siswal is a village in Hisar district, Haryana, India. It located 28 km from Hisar city. It is a site of Chalcolithic age. It is a typesite for ''Siswal culture'', dating from around 3800 BC, also known as Sothi–Siswal culture. Locat ...

period going back to . Ancient

Kalibangan Kalibangān is a town located at on the left or southern banks of the Ghaggar (Ghaggar-Hakra River) in Tehsil Pilibangān, between Suratgarh and Hanumangarh in Hanumangarh District, Rajasthan, India 205 km from Bikaner. It is also ident ...

and

Kunal, Haryana Kunal is a pre-Harappan Indus Valley Civilisation settlement located, just 30 km from Fatehabad City in Fatehabad district of Haryana state in India. Compared to other IVC sites, such as cities like Rakhigarhi and towns like Kalibangan, ...

settlements obtained copper here.Jane McIntosh
''The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives.''
Understanding ancient civilizations. ABC-CLIO, 2008 p77

Geographical features

The

Indian Craton The geology of India is diverse. Different regions of the Indian subcontinent contain rocks belonging to different geologic periods, dating as far back as the Eoarchean Era. Some of the rocks are very deformed and altered. Other deposi ...

includes five major cratons. Cratons are part of

continental crust Continental crust is the layer of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks that forms the geological continents and the areas of shallow seabed close to their shores, known as '' continental shelves''. This layer is sometimes called '' si ...

made up of upper layer called platforms and older bottom layer called

basement rocks In geology, basement and crystalline basement are crystalline rocks lying above the mantle and beneath all other rocks and sediments. They are sometimes exposed at the surface, but often they are buried under miles of rock and sediment. The baseme ...

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...

s are part of a craton where basement rock crops out at the surface and it is the relatively oldest and most stable part that are undeformed by the

plate tectonics Plate tectonics (, ) is the scientific theory that the Earth's lithosphere comprises a number of large tectonic plates, which have been slowly moving since 3–4 billion years ago. The model builds on the concept of , an idea developed durin ...

. The

(Marwar-Mewar Craton or Western Indian Craton) covers

as well as

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

and southern

. It includes the Mewar Craton in the east and Marwar Craton in the west. It is limited by the Great Boundary Fault in the east, the

Thar Desert The Thar Desert (), also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of in India and Pakistan. It is the world's 18th-largest desert, and the world's 9th-large ...

in the west, Indo-gangetic alluvium in the north, and the

Son River Sone River, also spelt Son River, is a perennial river located in central India. It originates near Amarkantak Hill in Pendra (Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district), Chhattisgarh and finally merges with the Ganges river near Maner in Patna, Biha ...

Narmada River The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...

Tapti River The Tapti River (or Tapi) is a river in central India located to the south of the Narmada river that flows westwards before draining into the Arabian Sea. The river has a length of around and flows through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat ...

basins in the south. It mainly has

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock that was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tecton ...

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

pelite A pelite () or metapelite is a metamorphism, metamorphosed fine-grained sedimentary rock, i.e. mudstone or siltstone. The term was earlier used by geologists to describe a clay-rich, fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock, i.e. mud or ...

greywacke Greywacke or graywacke ( ) is a variety of sandstone generally characterized by its hardness (6–7 on Mohs scale), dark color, and Sorting (sediment), poorly sorted angular grains of quartz, feldspar, and small rock fragments or sand-size Lith ...

and extinct volcanos exposed in the Aravalli-Delhi Orogen. Malani Igneous Suite is the largest in India and third largest

igneous Igneous rock ( ), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. The magma can be derived from partial ...

suit in the world.Cratons of India
.Cratons of India
, lyellcollection.org. The uniqueness of the geological feature of Malani Igneous Suite at Jodhpur prompted the

Geological Survey of India The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is a scientific agency of India. It was founded in 1851, as a Government of India organization under the Ministry of Mines, one of the oldest of such organisations in the world and the second oldest survey ...

to declare the site as a

National Geological Monument National Geological Monuments are geographical areas of national importance and heritage, as notified by the Government of India's Geological Survey of India (GSI), for their maintenance, protection, promotion and enhancement of geotourism.

Tectonic-stratigraphic evolution

Tectonic-stratigraphic evolution of the Aravalli Range: *

Neoproterozoic The Neoproterozoic Era is the last of the three geologic eras of the Proterozoic geologic eon, eon, spanning from 1 billion to 538.8 million years ago, and is the last era of the Precambrian "supereon". It is preceded by the Mesoproterozoic era an ...

: ''Marwar Group'' * 500–550 Ma: '' Malani Igneous Suite'' * 720–750 Ma: '' Sindhrath/ Punagarh Group'' * 800–850 Ma: ''

Sirohi Sirohi is a town, located in Sirohi district in southern Rajasthan state in western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Sirohi District and was formerly the capital of the princely state of Sirohi ruled by Deora Chauhan Rajput ...

Group'' * 900 Ma:

Erinpura Erinpura is a village in the Rajasthan state of India. It is located in the Sheoganj Tehsil of the Sirohi district. It is located near the Jawai Bandh station; the Jawai Bandh station was earlier known as Erinpura Road. Erinpura is also a cent ...

granite *

Mesoproterozoic The Mesoproterozoic Era is a geologic era that occurred from . The Mesoproterozoic was the first era of Earth's history for which a fairly definitive geological record survives. Continents existed during the preceding era (the Paleoproterozoic ...

: ''Delhi Supergroup'' * 1100–900 Ma: ''South

fold belt'' * 1600–1450 Ma: ''North Delhi fold belt'' *

: '' Hindoli Group'' * 1800–1700 Ma: '' Sandmata Complex'' * 2200–1800 Ma: ''Aravalli Supergroup'' and mineralised basin at '' Rajpura-Dariba'' *

Neoarchean The Neoarchean ( ; also spelled Neoarchaean) is the last geologic era in the Archean Eon that spans from 2800 to 2500 million years ago—the period being defined chronometrically and not referencing a specific level in a rock section on Ear ...

(2900–2600 Ma): ''Mangalwar Complex'' with ''Bhilwara Group'' *

Mesoarchean The Mesoarchean ( , also spelled Mesoarchaean) is a geologic era in the Archean Eon, spanning , which contains the first evidence of modern-style plate subduction and expansion of microbial life. The era is defined chronometrically and is no ...

(3300–3000 Ma): ''Mewar gneiss'' with ''Jagat Supergroup''

Stratigraphic classification

The stratigraphic classification of the Aravalli Range can be divided into the following parts (north to south direction): * The Archean basement is a banded gneissic complex with

schists Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a ...

(medium grade metamorphic rock),

es (high grade regional metamorphic rock), composite gneiss and

s. It forms the basement rock for both the Delhi Supergroup and the Aravalli Supergroup. * Aravalli Supergroup: The Aravalli supergroup passes through

state, dividing it into two halves, with three-fifths of Rajasthan on the western side towards the

and two-thirds on the eastern side consisting of the catchment area of Banas and Chambal rivers bordering the state of

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...

, the highest peak in the Aravalli Range at in

Mount Abu Mount Abu (), known as Arbudgiri in Jain tradition, is a hill station in the Aravalli Range in the Sirohi district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. Here, the mountain forms a rocky plateau 22 km long by 9 km wide. It is ref ...

of Rajasthan, lies near the south-western extremity of the Central Aravalli range, close to the border with

state. The southern ''Aravalli Supergroup'' enters the northeast of

near

Modasa Modasa is a town and a municipality in Aravalli district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The town became the headquarters of the new Aravalli district, carved out from Sabarkantha, on 15 August 2013. It is an economic centre for agricultu ...

where it lends its name to the

Aravalli district Aravalli district is a district in the state of Gujarat in India that came into being on August 15, 2013, becoming the 29th district of the state. The district has been carved out of the Sabarkantha district. The district headquarters are at Moda ...

, and ends at the centre of the state at

Palanpur Palanpur (Gujarati language, Gujarati: ) is a city and a headquarters of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the ancestral home to an industry of Indian diamond merchants. Etymology Palanpur in early times is said ...

near

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

. ** Champaner Group is a rectangular outcrop composed of subgreywacke,

siliceous Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , commonly found in nature as quartz. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one of the most complex and abundant ...

phyllite Phyllite ( ) is a type of foliation (geology), foliated metamorphic rock formed from slate that is further metamorphosed so that very fine grained white mica achieves a preferred orientation.Stephen Marshak ''Essentials of Geology'', 3rd ed. I ...

pelitic A pelite () or metapelite is a metamorphosed fine-grained sedimentary rock, i.e. mudstone or siltstone. The term was earlier used by geologists to describe a clay-rich, fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock, i.e. mud or a mudstone, t ...

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...

and pertomict conglomerate. ** Lunavada Group is a polygon area in the south of the Aravali Orogen composed of greywacke-phyllite ** Jharol Group is spread over 200 km² area with average width of 40 km carbonate-free phyllite and

arenite Arenite (from the Latin ''arena'', "sand") is a sedimentary clastic rock with sand grain size between 0.0625 mm (0.00245 in) and 2 mm (0.08 in) and containing less than 15% matrix. The related adjective is ''arenaceous''. The e ...

with

turbidite A turbidite is the geologic Deposition (geology), deposit of a turbidity current, which is a type of amalgamation of fluidal and sediment gravity flow responsible for distributing vast amounts of clastic sediment into the deep ocean. Sequencing ...

facies and argillaceous rocks. ** Udaipur Group is a thick accumulation of greywacke-phyllite basement overlain by dolomite. ** Debari Group consists of

Carbonate A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid, (), characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, a polyatomic ion with the formula . The word "carbonate" may also refer to a carbonate ester, an organic compound containing the carbonate group ...

Quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock that was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tecton ...

, an
Pelitic
rocks which are overlain by the Delwara group. ** Delwara Group is spread over a 500 km² area with average thickness of 500 m and includes basement orthoquartzite overlain by volcanic conglomerate. ** Unconformities *** Mangalwar/Sandmata Complex and Mewar Gneiss with enclaves of the Jagat group * Delhi Supergroup ** Alwar Group with

arenaceous Arenite (from the Latin ''arena'', "sand") is a sedimentary clastic rock with sand grain size between 0.0625 mm (0.00245 in) and 2 mm (0.08 in) and containing less than 15% matrix. The related adjective is ''arenaceous''. The e ...

and

mafic A mafic mineral or rock is a silicate mineral or igneous rock rich in magnesium and iron. Most mafic minerals are dark in color, and common rock-forming mafic minerals include olivine, pyroxene, amphibole, and biotite. Common mafic rocks include ...

volcanic rocks *** Delhi Ridge, in the north *** Haryana Aravalli ranges, in the west ****

Tosham Hill range Tosham hill range (Tusham hill range old spelling), located at and in the area around Tosham, with an average elevation of 207 meters (679 feet), and the rocks exposed in and around Tosham hills are part of subsurface north-western spur of ' ...

basement rocks include quartzite with

chiastolite Chiastolite ( ) is a variety of the mineral andalusite with the chemical composition Al2SiO5. It is noted for its distinctive cross-shaped black inclusions of graphite. The presence of these crosses caused the mineral to be used as a gem. Chias ...

, the upper layers of

quartz porphyry Quartz-porphyry, in layman's terms, is a type of volcanic (igneous) rock containing large porphyritic crystals of quartz. These rocks are classified as ''hemi-crystalline acid rocks''. Structure The quartz crystals exist in a fine-grained matrix ...

ring dyke,

felsite Felsite is a very fine-grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals. Felsite is a field term for a light-colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition. Color ...

welded tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock cont ...

and

muscovite Muscovite (also known as common mica, isinglass, or potash mica) is a hydrated phyllosilicate mineral of aluminium and potassium with formula KAl2(Al Si3 O10)( F,O H)2, or ( KF)2( Al2O3)3( SiO2)6( H2O). It has a highly perfect basal cleavage y ...

biotite Biotite is a common group of phyllosilicate minerals within the mica group, with the approximate chemical formula . It is primarily a solid-solution series between the iron- endmember annite, and the magnesium-endmember phlogopite; more al ...

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

rocks which have commercially nonviable tin, tungsten and copper. The

, west of Bhiwani in Haryana, is the northernmost end of the Aravalli range. A northeastern extension of the Aravalli extends to the national capital of India also. Locally known as a ridge it diagonally traverses to the

South Delhi South Delhi is an administrative district of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in India with its headquarters in Saket. Administratively, the district is divided into three subdivisions, Saket, Hauz Khas, and Mehrauli. It is bounded by ...

(hills of

Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary Asola-Bhati Wildlife Sanctuary covering 32.71 km2 area on the Delhi Ridge, Southern Delhi Ridge of Aravalli hill range on Delhi-Haryana border lies in Southern Delhi as well as northern parts of Faridabad and Gurugram districts of Haryana ...

), where at the hills of Bandhwari, it meets the

Aravalli range consisting of various isolated hills and rocky ridges passing along the southern border of

. **** Madhogarh hill **** Satnali hill **** Nuh-Ferozepur Jhirka hill range, runs along Haryana-Rajasthan border from Nuh to the south of

Ferozepur Jhirka Ferozepur Jhirka, ocassionaly called Jhirka, is a town and historical settlement in the Ferozepur Jhirka, a sub-division of the Nuh district in the Indian state of Haryana. Sh Rajkumar Gupta won the presidential election of Bar Association F ...

. *** Rajasthan Alwar range, in the east ** Ajabgarh Group – Kumbhalgarh Group with

carbonate A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid, (), characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, a polyatomic ion with the formula . The word "carbonate" may also refer to a carbonate ester, an organic compound containing the carbonate group ...

, mafic volcanic and

argillaceous Clay minerals are hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates (e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4), sometimes with variable amounts of iron, magnesium, alkali metals, alkaline earths, and other cations found on or near some planetary surfaces. Clay mineral ...

rocks ** Raialo Group with mafic volcanic and calcareous rocks

Human history

Tosham Hills - Indus Civilisation mines

The

Tosham hills Tosham hill range (Tusham hill range old spelling), located at and in the area around Tosham, with an average elevation of 207 meters (679 feet), and the rocks exposed in and around Tosham hills are part of subsurface north-western spur of ' ...

have several

Indus Valley Civilisation The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation, was a Bronze Age civilisation in the Northwestern South Asia, northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 Common Era, BCE to 1300 BCE, and in i ...

sites in and around the hill range as the area falls under copper-bearing zone of Southwest Haryana and Northeast Rajasthan of Aravalli hill range. Investigation of IVC network of mineral ore needs for metallurgical work and trade, shows that the most common type of grinding stone at Harappa is of Delhi quartzite type found only in the westernmost outliers of the Aravalli range in southern Haryana near Kaliana and Makanwas villages of Bhiwani district. The quartzite is red-pink to pinkish grey in colour and is crisscrossed with thin

haematite Hematite (), also spelled as haematite, is a common iron oxide compound with the formula, Fe2O3 and is widely found in rocks and soils. Hematite crystals belong to the rhombohedral lattice system which is designated the alpha polymorph of . ...

and quartz filled fractures with sugary size grain texture. Ravindra Nath Singh and his team of

Banaras Hindu University Banaras Hindu University (BHU), formerly Benares Hindu University, is a collegiate, central, and research university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, and founded in 1916. The university incorporated the Central Hindu College, ...

carried out ASI-financed excavations of

site on the grounds of the Government School in Khanak, during 2014 and 2016. They found early to mature Harappan phase IVC materials, pottery, semiprecious beads of

lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli (; ), or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. Originating from the Persian word for the gem, ''lāžward'', lapis lazuli is ...

carnelian Carnelian (also spelled cornelian) is a brownish-red mineral commonly used as a semiprecious stone. Similar to carnelian is sard, which is generally harder and darker; the difference is not rigidly defined, and the two names are often used int ...

and others. They also found evidence of metallurgical activities, such as

crucible A crucible is a container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures. Although crucibles have historically tended to be made out of clay, they can be made from any material that withstands temperat ...

s (used for pouring molten metal), furnace lining, burnt floor, ash and ore slugs.

Ceramic petrography Ceramic petrography (or ceramic petrology) is a laboratory-based scientific Archaeology, archaeological technique that examines the mineralogical and microstructural composition of ceramics and other inorganic materials under the petrographic micros ...

metallography Metallography is the study of the physical structure and components of metals, by using microscopy. Ceramic and polymeric materials may also be prepared using metallographic techniques, hence the terms ceramography, plastography and, collecti ...

scanning electron microscope A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a type of electron microscope that produces images of a sample by scanning the surface with a focused beam of electrons. The electrons interact with atoms in the sample, producing various signals that ...

(SEM, non-destructive, surface images of nanoscale resolution),

energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS, EDX, EDXS or XEDS), sometimes called energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA or EDAX) or energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDXMA), is an analytical technique used for the elemental analysis or chemi ...

(EDXA and EDXMA non-destructive, qualitative and quantitative elemental composition) and

transmission electron microscopy Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a microscopy technique in which a beam of electrons is transmitted through a specimen to form an image. The specimen is most often an ultrathin section less than 100 nm thick or a suspension on a g ...

(TEM, destructive method) scientific studies of the material found prove that the Khanak site was inhabited by the IVC metal-workers who used the locally mined

polymetal Compatibility is a term used by geochemists to describe how elements partition themselves in the solid and melt within Earth's mantle. In geochemistry, compatibility is a measure of how readily a particular trace element substitutes for a major el ...

lic

, and they were also familiar with metallurgical work with

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

and

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

. The lowest level of site dates back as far the pre-Harappan era to Sothi-Siswal culture (6600 BP) tentatively.

Ganeshwar Sunari Cultural Complex

The Ganeshwar Sunari Cultural Complex (GSCC) is a collection of third millennium BCE settlements in the area of the Aravalli Hill Range. Among them, there are similarities in material culture, and in the production of copper tools. They are located near the copper mines.

"The GSCC is east of the Harappan culture, to the north-east of Ahar–Banas Complex, north/north west to the Kayatha Culture and at a later date, west of the OCP-Copper Hoard sites (
Ochre Coloured Pottery culture The Ochre Coloured Pottery culture (OCP) is a Bronze Age culture of the Indo-Gangetic Plain "generally dated 2000–1500 BCE," extending from eastern Punjab to northeastern Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh. Artefacts of this culture show ...
–
Copper Hoard culture Copper Hoard culture describes find-complexes which mainly occur in the western Ganges–Yamuna doab in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. They occur in hoards large and small, and are dated to the first half of the 2nd millennium BC ...
). Located within the regions of the Aravalli Hill Range, primarily along the Kantli, Sabi, Sota, Dohan and Bondi rivers, the GJCC is the largest copper producing community in third millennium BCE South Asia, with 385 sites documented. Archaeological indicators of the GSCC were documented primarily in Jaipur, Jhunjhunu, and Sikar districts of Rajasthan, India ..."Uzma Z. Rizvi (2010
Indices of Interaction: Comparisons between the Ahar–Banas and Ganeshwar Jodhpura Cultural Complex
, in EASAA 2007: Special Session on Gilund Excavations, edited by T. Raczek and V. Shinde, pp. 51–61. British Archaeological Reports: ArchaeoPress

Pottery found in the area include incised ware, and reserved slipware. There are two main

type site In archaeology, a type site (American English) or type-site (British English) is the site used to define a particular archaeological culture or other typological unit, which is often named after it. For example, discoveries at La Tène and H ...

s, Ganeshwar, and

Sunari Sunari is a village in Ladnun tehsil (I sector), Nagaur district, Rajasthan, north west India. Its Lok Sabha, lok sabha (lower house region of governance) is Nagour (Lok Sabha constituency), Nagaur constituency. The residents, numbering between ...

, in Tehsil Kot Putli,

Jaipur district Jaipur District is a district in the state of Rajasthan in Northern India.the city of Jaipur, which is Rajasthan's capital and the largest city, is the district headquarters. It is the tenth most populous district in India (out of 640). Etymo ...

(Geo coordinates: N 27° 35' 51", 76° 06' 85" E).

Environment

Climate

The Northern Aravalli range in Delhi and Haryana has

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

and hot semi-arid

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typi ...

with very hot summers and relatively cool winters. The main characteristics of climate in Hisar are dryness, extremes of temperature, and scanty rainfall. The maximum daytime temperature during the summer varies between . During winter, its ranges between 1.5 and 4 °C. The Central Aravalli range in

has an arid and dry climate. The Southern Aravalli range in

has a

tropical wet and dry climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

Rivers

Three major rivers and their tributaries flow from the Aravalli, namely Banas and Sahibi rivers which are tributaries of

Yamuna The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Low ...

, as well as Luni River which flows into the

Rann of Kutch The Rann of Kutch is a large area of salt marshes that span the border between India and Pakistan. It is located mostly in the Kutch district of the Indian state of Gujarat, with a minor portion extending into the Sindh province of Pakistan. ...

. * North-to-south flowing rivers originate from the western slopes of the Aravalli range in Rajasthan, pass through the southeastern portion of the

, and end into Gujarat. **

Luni River The Luni is the largest river in the Thar Desert in Northwest India. It originates in Naga hills of the Pushkar valley of the Aravalli Range, near Ajmer, passes through the southeastern portion of the Thar Desert, and ends in the marshy lands of ...

, originates in the

Pushkar Pushkar is a temple town near Ajmer City and headquarters of Pushkar tehsil in the Ajmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated about northwest of Ajmer and about southwest of Jaipur.Rann of Kutch The Rann of Kutch is a large area of salt marshes that span the border between India and Pakistan. It is located mostly in the Kutch district of the Indian state of Gujarat, with a minor portion extending into the Sindh province of Pakistan. ...

. It used to be one of the channel of the

Saraswati River The Sarasvati River () is a deified mythological river first mentioned in the Rigveda and later in Vedic and post-Vedic texts. It played an important role in the Vedic religion, appearing in all but the fourth book of the Rigveda. As a phys ...

, as a result its banks have several

sites including

Lothal Lothal () was one of the southernmost sites of the ancient Indus Valley civilization, Indus Valley civilisation, located in the Bhal region of the Indian state of Gujarat. Construction of the city is believed to have begun around 2200 BCE. Di ...

. **

Sakhi River Sakhi (Gurmukhi: ਸਾਖੀ; ''sākhī'') literally means 'historical account', 'anecdote', or 'story'. It is derived from the Sanskrit word ''sākṣī'' (साक्षी) which literally means 'witness'. The term refers to the accounts ...

, ends in the marshy lands of Rann of Kutch. **

Sabarmati River The Sabarmati River is one of the major west-flowing rivers in India. It originates in the Aravalli Range of the Udaipur District of Rajasthan and meets the Gulf of Khambhat of the Arabian Sea after travelling in a south-westerly direction acr ...

, originates on the western slopes of Aravalli range of the

Udaipur district Udaipur district is one of the 50 districts of Rajasthan state in western India. The historic city of Udaipur is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district is part of the Mewar region of Rajasthan. History Before Udaipur d ...

, end into the

Gulf of Khambhat The Gulf of Khambhat, also known as the Gulf of Cambay, is a bay on the Arabian Sea coast of India, bordering the state of Gujarat just north of Mumbai and Diu Island. The Gulf of Khambhat is about long, about wide in the north and up to wi ...

of the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

. * West to north-west flowing rivers originate from the western slopes of the Aravalli range in Rajasthan, flow through semi-arid historical

Shekhawati Shekhawati is a region in the northern part of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan, comprising the districts of Sikar, Jhunjhunu, and Churu district, Churu. The language of this region is also called Shekhawat ...

region and drain into southern Haryana. Several

Ochre Coloured Pottery culture The Ochre Coloured Pottery culture (OCP) is a Bronze Age culture of the Indo-Gangetic Plain "generally dated 2000–1500 BCE," extending from eastern Punjab to northeastern Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh. Artefacts of this culture show ...

sites, also identified as late Harappan phase of

culture, have been found along the banks of these rivers. **

Sahibi River The Sahibi river, also called the Sabi River, is an ephemeral, rain-fed river flowing through Rajasthan, Haryana (where its canalised portion is called the "Outfall Drain No 8") and Delhi states in India. It originates in the eastern slopes of t ...

, originates near

Manoharpur Monoharpur is a village in Chanditala II CD Block in Srirampore subdivision of Hooghly district in the state of West Bengal, India. It was earlier recorded as a census town. Geography Manoharpur is located at . Demographics India census ...

Sikar district Sikar district is a district of the Indian state Rajasthan in northern India. It is a part of the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan. Rao Daulat Singh laid down the foundation stone of Thikana Sikar in 1687. District Collector of Sikar is Shri Mu ...

flows through Haryana and meets its confluence with the Yamuna in Delhi where it is called

Najafgarh drain The Najafgarh drain or Najafgarh nalah, which also acts as Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary, is another name for the northernmost end of River Sahibi, which continues its flow through Delhi, where it is channelized, and then flows into the ...

, along with its following tributaries:Cultural Contours of India: Dr. Satya Prakash Felicitation Volume, Vijai Shankar Śrivastava, 1981
Google Books: Page 41, 42, 43, 44, 47 (b) Sahibi Nadi (River), River Pollution, By A.k.jain
/ref>Minerals and Metals in Ancient India: Archaeological evidence
Arun Kumar Biswas, Sulekha Biswas, University of Michigan. 1996. .

Masani barrage Masani is a village in Rewari District, Haryana. Rajiv Gandhi Herbal Park and Nature Camp, Sahabi Barrage Rajiv Gandhi Herbal Park and Nature Camp, Sahabi Barrage was set up in 2011 by Government of Haryana at Sahabi Barrage to promote eco ...

, is an important wildlife area. ***

Dohan river The Dohan river (), is a rain-fed river that originates at Mandholi village near Neem Ka Thana in Sikar district of Rajasthan and then disappears in Mahendragarh district in Haryana where it used to be a tributary of Sahibi River, which in t ...

, tributary of the Sahibi River, originates near

Neem Ka Thana Neem Ka Thana is a city in Sikar district located 73 km from Sikar City in the Shekhawati region in the Rajasthan state of India. Sikar, Udaipurwati, Khandela, Sri Madhopur, Kotputli, Khetri, and Narnaul are some major cities and t ...

in Sikar district). ***

Sota River The Sota is a river of northern Benin flowing through the departments of Borgou and Alibori. It is a tributary of the Niger River and the Tassiné River is one of its tributaries. The river is approximately in length and covers a basin area of ...

, tributary of the Sahibi River with which it merges at

Behror Behror () is a city in the Kotpulti-Behror district of Rajasthan of the Jaipur division. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the eponymous ''Behror'' Tehsil and shares headquarters for Kotputli-Behror district with Kotputli. It ...

in Alwar district. ***

Krishnavati river The Krishnavati river, also called Kasaunti or Kasawati, is a rain-fed river originates from Aravalli Range near Dariba copper mines in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan, and flows through Patan in Dausa district and Mothooka in Alwar district ...

, former tributary of Sahibi river, originates near Dariba copper mines in

Rajsamand district Rajsamand District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Rajsamand is the district headquarters. The district was constituted on 10 April 1991 from Udaipur district by carving out 7 tehsils - Bhim, Deogarh, Am ...

of Rajasthan, flows through Patan in

Dausa district Dausa district is a district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is part of the Jaipur division–one of the ten List of districts of Rajasthan#Divisions, administrative divisions of Rajasthan. The city of Dausa is the district headquarters. ...

and Mothooka in

Alwar district Alwar is a district in the States and territories of India, state of Rajasthan in northern India, whose district headquarters is Alwar, Alwar city. The district covers 8,337 km2. It is bound on the north by Rewari district of Haryana, on t ...

, then disappears in

Mahendragarh district Mahendragarh district is one of the 22 districts of Haryana state in northern India. The district occupies an area of 1,899 km² and has a population of 922,088 (2021census). District have 4 Sub-divisions : Narnaul, Mahendragarh, Nangal ...

much before reaching Sahibi River. It previously was a tributary to the Sahibi and part of its present canalised channel is called the ''Outfall Drain No. 8''. Many important wetlands lie in its paleochannel, including

Matanhail Matanhail is a large village and headquarter of eponymous Matanhail Tehsil and Block in Jhajjar District of Haryana, India. It belongs to Rohtak Division. It is located 22 km west of the District headquarters Jhajjar. It is a tehsil headquar ...

, Chhuchhakwas-Godhari,

Khaparwas Wildlife Sanctuary Khaparwas Bird Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary in Jhajjar district, about west of Delhi). The reserve covers 82.70 hectares. This is an important part of ecological corridor along the route of Sahibi River which traverses from Aravalli hills in ...

Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary Ramsar Site, Ramsar site is located in Jhajjar district, which is about 15 km from Jhajjar in Haryana. On 3 June 2009, it is also declared as bird sanctuary by the Government of India, Indian Government. T ...

, Sarbashirpur,

Sultanpur National Park Sultanpur National Park (Ramsar site )(formerly Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary) is located at Sultanpur village on Gurugram-Jhajjar highway, 15 km from Gurugram, Haryana and 50 km from Delhi in India. This covers approximately 142.52 hec ...

Basai Basai Jat is a Jat village in Gurgaon Mandal, Gurgaon district, Gurgaon District, Haryana, India. Basai is 4 km distance from its district main city Gurgaon and 282 km distance from its state main city Chandigarh. It has a population of about ...

and The Lost Lake (Gurugram). * West to north-east flowing rivers, originating from the eastern slopes of Aravalli range in Rajasthan, flow northwards to

. **

Chambal River The Chambal River is a tributary of the Yamuna River in Central India, Central and North India, Northern India, and thus forms part of the drainage system of the Ganges. The river flows north-northeast through Madhya Pradesh, running for a brie ...

, a southern-side tributary of Yamuna River. ***

Banas River The Banas is a river which lies entirely within the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is a tributary of the Chambal River, itself a tributary of the Yamuna, which in turn merges into the Ganga. The Banas is approximately 512 kilometres i ...

, a northern-side tributary of Chambal River. ****

Berach River The Berach River, a tributary of the Banas River, is a river of Rajasthan state in western India. The river belongs to the Ganga River basin. The Berach originates in the hills of Udaipur district, northeast of Udaipur, and has a length of 157&n ...

, a southern-side tributary of Banas River, originates in the hills of

. *****

Ahar River The Ahar River is a tributary of the Berach River which drains to the Banas River, a tributary of the Chambal river which drains to the Yamuna River, the principal tributary of Ganges River. The river flows through Udaipur city. The outflow ...

, a right-side (or eastern side) tributary of the Berach river, originates in the hills of Udaipur district, flows through

Udaipur Udaipur (Hindi: , ) (ISO 15919: ''Udayapura'') is a city in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, about south of the state capital Jaipur. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Udaipur district. It is the historic capital of t ...

city and into

Lake Pichola Lake Pichola, in Udaipur city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, is an artificial fresh water lake, created in the year 1362, named after the nearby Picholi village. It is one of the several contiguous lakes, and developed over the last few cent ...

. ***** Wagli River, a right-side tributary of the Berach River. *****

Wagon River A wagon (or waggon) is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draft animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people. Wagons are immediately distinguished from ...

, a right-side tributary of the Berach River. ***** Gambhiri River, a right-side tributary of the Berach River. *****

Orai River Orai is a city in Uttar Pradesh, India, and the administrative headquarters of Jalaun District. All administrative offices of Jalaun District, including the District Collectorate, police, telecom and various other government organizations ar ...

, a right-side tributary of the Berach River.

Ecology

Wildlife Corridors

The Great Green Wall of India

"The Great Green Wall of Aravalli" is a proposed 1,600 km long and 5 km wide green ecological corridor along Aravalli range from Gujarat to Delhi, it will be connected to Shivalik hill range and 1.35 billion (135 crore) new native trees will be planted over 10 years to rehabilitate the forest cover in this area. To be implemented on a concept similar to the Great Green Wall of

Sahara The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...

in Africa, it will act as a buffer against pollution, 51% of which is caused by the industrial pollution, 27% by vehicles, 8% by

crop burning Crop destruction is the deliberate destruction of crops or agricultural products to render it useless for consumption or processing. It can be made by burning, grinding, dumping into water, or application of chemicals. It should not be confused w ...

and 5% by diwali fireworks.Want govt to build 1600 km green wall along Aravalli
, Indian Express, 24 December 2019. It was proposed several times form the 1990s, but as of 2024 the project is still in the planning stage. On the

World Environment Day World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated annually on 5 June and encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment. It is supported by many non-governmental organizations, businesses, government entities, and represents the ...

5 June 2025, Prime Minister Modi kickstarted the phase-I of re-greening of this green wall as extension of the ''"Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam"'' (one tree

y each person Y, or y, is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. According to some authorities, it is the sixth (or sevent ...

for the mother ature campaign which will last till 2027, entailing setting up 1000 permanent nurseries of the native plants for the ongoing regreening of Aravalli by replacing the foreign species. The effort also entails development of the trails, eco parks, wildlife safaris, and people's involvement in 29 districts across 4 states and 700 km mountain range.

Northern Aravalli leopard and wildlife corridor

The Sariska–Delhi leopard wildlife corridor or the Northern Aravalli leopard wildlife corridor is a 200 km long important

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

and

wildlife corridor A wildlife corridor, also known as a habitat corridor, or green corridor, is a designated area habitat (ecology), that connects wildlife populations that have been separated by human activities or structures, such as development, roads, or land ...

which runs from the

Sariska Tiger Reserve Sariska Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve in Alwar district, Rajasthan, India. It stretches over an core tiger habitat area of and 322.23 km² of buffer area making 1203.34 km² total area of tiger reserve. It is comprising scrub-thorn arid ...

in Rajasthan to Delhi Ridge.Haryana Government moots buffer zone to save Asola sanctuary
''Times of India'', 30 January 2019. This corridor is an important habitat for the Indian

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...

s and

jackal Jackals are Canidae, canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe Canina (subtribe), canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-b ...

s of Aravalli. In January 2019, the

Wildlife Institute of India The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is an autonomous natural resource service institution established in 1982 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change, Government of Indi ...

announced that they will undertake the survey of leopard and wildlife, using pugmarks and trap cameras, subsequently, leopards and jackals will be tracked via the radio collars. Urban development, especially the highways and railways bisecting the Aravalli range and wildlife corridor in several places pose a great risk. Large parts of Aravalli are legally and physically unprotected, with no wildlife passages and little or no wildlife conservation work resulting in deaths of over 10 leopards in 4 years between January 2015 to January 2019.Death, proof of leopard life in Asola sanctuary
Hindustan Times, 31 January 2019.10-month-old leopard found dead on Gurugram-Faridabad Expressway
''India Today'', 31 January 2019. The Haryana side of the Gurugram-Faridabad Aravalli hill forests lack availability of water due to which wild animals are seldom seen there. The Government of Haryana used drones for aerial surveys and dug 22

ephemeral Ephemerality (from the Greek word , meaning 'lasting only one day') is the concept of things being transitory, existing only briefly. Academically, the term ephemeral constitutionally describes a diverse assortment of things and experiences, fr ...

pits in 2018 to store the rainwater which became dry during the summer months. In January 2019, the government announced the plan to make the pit

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

by connecting those with pipelines from the nearby villages.Leopards keep away from Haryana side of Asola due to scarcity
''Times of India'', 1 February 2019. Human activity, such as unplanned urbanization and polluting industrial plants, also pose a great threat. There is often reluctance and denial on part of the government officials of the presence of wildlife such as leopard so that the forest land can be exploited and opened up for the intrusive human development.Only 30 villagers turn up for impact study
''Times of India'', 2018.NGT asks CPCB to test groundwater sample near Bandhwari plant
, ''India Today'', 1 August 2017. This habitat is under serious threat from the wrong actions of the

Government of Haryana Government of Haryana, also known as the State Government of Haryana, or locally as the Haryana Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Haryana and its 22 districts. It consists of an executive, ceremonially led ...

which in 2019 passed the amendment to the

Punjab Land Alienation Act, 1900 The Punjab Land Alienation Act of 1900 was a piece of legislation introduced by the British Raj with the aim of limiting the transfer of land ownership in Punjab Province. It created an "agricultural tribes" category, the membership of which was ...

(PLPA). Governor has given his assent for the act, but it has not yet been notified by the Haryana government, hence it is in limbo and has not officially become a law. This amendment will reduce the Haryana's Natural Conservation Zones (NCZs) by 47% or 60,000 acres from 122,113.30 hectares to only 64,384.66 hectares. This is in violation of multiple guidelines of the

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...

as well as " NCR Planning Board" (NCRPB) notification which states the original 122,113.30 hectares ecologically sensitive forest of

South Haryana South Haryana is an underdeveloped region of the Indian state of Haryana. South Haryana has dearth of essentials i.e. water ( Bhakra water), road, transport and protracted demand of University and educational institutes. The Haryana government is ...

is a forest, ''"The major natural features, identified as environmentally sensitive areas, are the extension of Aravalli ridge in Rajasthan, Haryana and NCT-Delhi; forest areas; rivers and tributaries... major lakes and water bodies such as

Badkhal lake Badkhal Lake is a natural lake situated in Badkhal village near Faridabad, in the Indian state of Haryana, about 32 kilometers from the national capital of Delhi. Fringed by the hills of the Aravalli Range, this was a man-made embankment. Owing ...

Suraj Kund Surajkund is an ancient reservoir of the 10th century located on Southern Delhi Ridge of Aravalli range in Faridabad city of Haryana state about 8 km (5mi) from South Delhi. Surajkund (literally 'Lake of the Sun') is an artificial Kund ( ...

and Damdama in Haryana sub-region"''.Law changes bring Aravalli conservation to the fore
, Hindustan Times, 22 December 2019. This area as part of Northern Aravalli leopard and wildlife corridor is an important habitat for the leopards in Haryana.

Southern Aravalli leopard wildlife corridor

This corridor runs from Sariska and Ranthmbor to Rann of Kutch National Park and

Gir National Park Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Sasan Gir, is a forest, national park, and wildlife sanctuary near Talala Gir in Gujarat, India. It is located north-east of Somnath, south-east of Junagadh and south-west of Amreli ...

in Gujarat.

Nature reserves

The following national parks, wildlife reserves, and forests lie in the Aravalli Range. * Delhi Ridge ** Northern Ridge biodiversity park, 87 hectares approximately near

Delhi University The Delhi University (DU, ISO 15919, ISO: ), also and officially known as the University of Delhi, is a collegiate university, collegiate research university, research Central university (India), central university located in Delhi, India. It ...

** Yamuna biodiversity park **

Neela Hauz biodiversity park Neela Hauz biodiversity park, located on South Central Delhi Ridge of Aravalli range next to Sanjay Van, in Delhi, India, is a 3.90 hectares mini biodiversity and wetland area along Aruna Asaf Ali Road. It lies in the Northern Aravalli leopard ...

, next to Sanjay Van ** Sanjay Van **

Sanjay Lake Sanjay Lake is an artificial lake developed by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in Trilokpuri in East Delhi, India, adjoining Mayur Vihar#Mayur Vihar Phase II, Mayur Vihar II residential area. The lake is Spread over an area of approximately in ...

** Aravalli Biodiversity Park **

Tilpath valley biodiversity park Tilpat is a census town in Faridabad district in the Indian state of Haryana that comes under the Capital Region. It is famous for the revolt against Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, led by Jat leader Gokula. It also has the Tilpat 1 & 2 ranges of I ...

, 70 hectares approximately near

Sainik Farm Sainik Farm is an affluent settlement in New Delhi where prominent people reside. The area has been embroiled in legal trouble over its legitimacy. It is situated south of Saket beyond the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road in the southernmost part of ...

* Haryana **

Aravali Biodiversity Park, Gurgaon Aravali diversity-bio Park, Gurgaon (or Aravalli Biodiversity Park, Gurgaon) spreads over 392 acres, near the Guru Dronacharya metro station in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. The park contains ecologically restored semiarid-land vegetation. The park ...

Madhogarh Biodiversity Park Madhogarh is a town and a nagar panchayat in Jalaun district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Uttar Pradesh. Madhogarh is famous for ghee. List of villages in Madhogarh # Abdullapur Kanar # Aheta # Ajitapur # Akbarpura ...

forest **

Nuh Aravalli Biodiversity Park Nuh may refer to: * Nuh (city), Nuh district, Haryana, India * Nuh district, Haryana * Nuh Assembly constituency, a constituency of the Haryana Legislative Assembly in India * Nūḥ, the 71st sura of the Qur'an People * Nuh (name), list of peop ...

forest ** Satnali Biodiversity Park forest **

biodiversity park **

wildlife area. **

wildlife area ** Chhuchhakwas-Godhari wetland **

** Sarbashirpur **

** Bandhwari forest **

Mangar Bani forest Mangar Bani is a Paleolithic archaeological site and Sacred groves of India#Locations of sacred groves, sacred grove hill forest next to the Mangar village on Delhi-Haryana border. It lies in the Delhi Ridge#Southern Ridge, South Delhi Ridge of ...

The Lost Lake ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' ...

(Gurugram) * Rajasthan **

Ranthambore National Park Ranthambore National Park is a national park in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It covers a total area of . It is bounded to the north by the Banas River and to the south by the Chambal River. It is named after the historic Ranthambore Fort ...

National Chambal Sanctuary National Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, is a tri-state protected area in northern India for the protection of the Critically Endangered gharial, the red-crowned roof turtle and the Endangered G ...

** Phulwari ki Nal Wildlife Sanctuary **

Sita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary The Sita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary situated in Pratapgarh and Chittaurgarh districts of Rajasthan Rajasthan, India, declared as a protected forest area by the Government of Rajasthan Notification No. F 11 (9) Revenue/8/ ...

** Todgarh-Raoli Sanctuary **

Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Aravalli Range, one of the oldest mountain ranges in India. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1980. The eco-sensitive zone around the sanctuary was notified on 11 Nov 2020. Geography Mount A ...

** Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary **

Bassi Wildlife Sanctuary Bassi Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary near Bassi in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan, India, 5 kilometres from the Bassi Fort Palace. It covers 15,290 hectares and was established in 1988. The sanctuary is located on the western bor ...

Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in the Salumbar district of Rajasthan, India, located on the northern and eastern shores of Jaisamand Lake, in aravalli hills about 50 km south of Udaipur. It covers an area of approximately 52. ...

* Gujarat **

Balaram Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary Balaram Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary is located at Banaskantha, Gujarat, India. It covers 542 km2, and falls in the catchment area of Banas and Sabarmati rivers, and is a part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests' ecoregion. The sanctuar ...

** Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary **

Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary is situated in the Banaskantha district formerly under Palanpur State in the States of India, Indian state of Gujarat at the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. It was declared as a sanctuary in May 1978, covering an area of abo ...

Flora

The Aravalli Range has several forests with a diversity of environment.'

Fauna

The Aravalli Range is rich in wildlife. The first-ever 2017 wildlife survey of a 200 square kilometre area crossing five districts (Gurgaon, Faridabad, Mewat, Rewari and Mahendergarh) of

by the

(WII) found 14 species, including

leopards The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...

striped hyena The striped hyena (''Hyaena hyaena'') is a species of hyena native to North and East Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Hyaena''. It is listed by the IU ...

(7 sightings),

golden jackal The golden jackal (''Canis aureus''), also called the common jackal, is a wolf-like canid that is native to Eurasia. The golden jackal's coat varies in color from a pale creamy yellow in summer to a dark tawny beige in winter. It is smaller a ...

(9 sightings, with 92% occupancy across the survey area),

nilgai The nilgai (''Boselaphus tragocamelus'') (, literally meaning "blue cow") is the largest antelope of Asia, and is ubiquitous across the northern Indian subcontinent. It is the sole member of the genus (biology), genus ''Boselaphus'', which was ...

(55 sightings),

palm civet Palm civet is the common name of several species of feliform carnivorans in two families. *Family Nandiniidae: ** African palm civet (''Nandinia binotata'') *Family Viverridae: **Small-toothed palm civet (''Arctogalidia trivirgata'') ** Owston's p ...

(7 sightings), wild pig (14 sightings),

rhesus macaque The rhesus macaque (''Macaca mulatta''), colloquially rhesus monkey, is a species of Old World monkey. There are between six and nine recognised subspecies split between two groups, the Chinese-derived and the Indian-derived. Generally brown or g ...

(55 sightings),

peafowl Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...

(57 sightings) and

Indian crested porcupine The Indian crested porcupine (''Hystrix indica'') is a hystricomorph rodent species native to southern Asia and the Middle East. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It belongs to the Old World porcupine family, Hystricidae. Des ...

(12 sightings). Encouraged by the first survey, the wildlife department has prepared a plan for a comprehensive study and census of wildlife across the whole Aravalli Range, including radio collar tracking of the wild animals. Well known leopard and hyena habitat is along the Ferozpure Jhirka-Nuh Aravali range as well as Delhi South Ridge (Faridabad-Gurugram) to

Farrukhnagar Farrukhnagar is a small town and municipality in Farrukhnagar tehsil of Gurugram district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is situated from Gurgaon and shares its border with Jhajjar district. It was established in 1732 by Faujdar Khan, the ...

area on the Delhi–Haryana border, with reports of sightings in Saidpur, Lokri and Jhund Sarai Viran villages near the KMP expressway; Bhukarka 7 km from Pataudi; Pathkori, Bhond, Mandawar in Ferozepur Jirka region.

Concerns

In May 1992, some parts of the Aravalli hills in Rajasthan and Haryana were protected from mining through the Ecologically Sensitive Areas clauses of Indian laws. In 2003, the central government of India prohibited mining operations in these areas. In 2004, India's Supreme Court banned mining in the notified areas of Aravalli Range. In May 2009, the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

extended the ban on mining in an area of 448 km² across the

Faridabad Faridabad () is the most populous List of cities in Haryana by population, city near NCT of Delhi in the Indian state of Haryana and a part of National Capital Region (India), Delhi National Capital Region. It is one of the major satellite citie ...

Gurgaon Gurgaon (), officially named Gurugram (), is a satellite city of Delhi and administrative headquarters of Gurgaon district, located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi–Haryana border, about southwest ...

and

Mewat Mewat (; ) is a historical and cultural region which encompasses parts of the modern-day states of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh in northwestern India. Geography The loose boundaries of the Mewat region generally include parts of th ...

districts in

, covering the Aravalli Range.SC bans all mining activity in Aravali hills area of Haryana
9 May 2009.Mission Green: SC bans mining in Aravali hills

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...

, 9 May 2009. A 2013 report used high-resolution Cartosat-1 and LISS-IV satellite imaging to determine the existence and condition of mines in the Aravalli Range. In the Guru Gram district, the Aravalli hills occupy an area of 11,256 hectares, of which 491 (4.36%) hectares had mines, of which 16 hectares (0.14%) were abandoned flooded mines. In the Faridabad and Mewat districts, about 3610 hectares were part of mining industry, out of a total of 49,300 hectares. These mines were primarily granite and marble quarries for India's residential and real estate construction applications.Rai and Kumar, Mapping of Mining Areas in Aravalli Hills in Gurgaon, Faridabad & Mewat Districts of Haryana Using Geo-Informatics Technology, International Journal of Remote Sensing & Geoscience, Volume 2, Issue 1, Jan. 2013 In the Central Rajasthan region, Sharma states that the presence of some mining has had both positive and negative effects on neighboring agriculture and the ecosystem. The rain-induced erosion brings nutrients as well as potential contaminants.Sharma, K. C. (2003). Perplexities and Ecoremediation of Central Aravallis of Rajasthan. Environmental Scenario for 21st Century, , Chapter 20

Concerns

Damage to the environment and ecology from the unorganized

urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...

overexploitation Overexploitation, also called overharvesting or ecological overshoot, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Continued overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource, as it will be unable to ...

of the natural resources including water and minerals,

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

, untreated human waste and disposal, pollution, loss of forest cover and

wildlife habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

, unprotected status of most of the Aravalli and the lack of an integrated Aravalli management agency are the major causes of concern.

Gallery

File:Aravali range inside Ranthambhore, Rajasthan.jpg, The Aravali Range inside

, in

. File:Aravali hills Udaipur Rajasthan India 2014.jpg, Aravalli range near

File:Mt. Abu.jpg, alt=Mount Abu is the tallest mountain in this range with GURU SHIKHAR as its peak., Sunset from the sunset point of

References

External links

Aravali Range Homepage
India Environment Portal

{{Authority control Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests Landforms of Delhi Landforms of Gujarat Landforms of Haryana Landforms of Rajasthan Mountain ranges of India

Etymology

Natural history

Geology

Minerals

Mining

Geographical features

Tectonic-stratigraphic evolution

Stratigraphic classification

Human history

Tosham Hills - Indus Civilisation mines

Ganeshwar Sunari Cultural Complex

Environment

Climate

Rivers

Ecology

Wildlife Corridors

The Great Green Wall of India

Northern Aravalli leopard and wildlife corridor

Southern Aravalli leopard wildlife corridor

Nature reserves

Flora

Fauna

Concerns

Concerns

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading

External links