Ghats

Two mountain ranges in India; Eastern Ghats runs parallel to the Bay of Bengal, forming the E edge of the Deccan Plateau; series of disconnected hill ranges, including the Velikonda, Nallamala, Seshachalam, Palkonda, Melagiri, and Nilgiri Hills; Doda Betta in the Nilgiri Hills reaches 2636 m/8648 ft; Western Ghats runs parallel to the Arabian Sea, forming the W boundary of the Deccan plateau; length c.1600 km/1000 mi; two ranges join in the Nilgiri Hills; chief watershed of peninsular India; highest point, Anai Mudi Peak (2695 m/8842 ft) in the Cardamon Hills; subject to heavy rainfall during the SW monsoon; dense tropical forest.

The term ghats (Bengali: ঘাট ghaţ, Hindi: "steps") refers to a series of steps leading down to a body of water in many parts of South Asia. In Hindi-speaking areas, it is typically used to refer specifically to the steps leading to the River Ganges (Ganga) in the holy city of Varanasi.

When capitalized, the term Ghats is often used in reference to the steep mountainous ranges of India;