Geography Of India (Part-V) (Railway)

•  Beyond the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply to the south and spreads along the eastern boundary of India.

• They are known as the Purvanchal or the Eastern hills and mountains.

• The Arabian Sea Branch of the Southwest Monsoon first hits the windward side of the Western Ghats.

• The Western Ghats block rainbearing winds which cause heavy rainfall, more than 250 cm, from the Southwest Monsoon.

• It is formed by the union of the Kali and Trisuli rivers, which rise in the Great Himalaya Range in Nepal: from this junction to the Indian border the river is called the Narayani.

It joins the Ganges northeast of Munger in Bihar.

• Odisha is said to have the world's 4th largest bauxite reserves with an estimate of 1530 million tonnes.

• Of these, 20 million is located in Keonjhar, Sundergarh and Phulbani districts and the rest in Bolangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Rayagada and Koraput districts.

• Its biological name is Pterocarpus santalinus (Family - Fabaceae).

• Red Sanders usually grow in the rocky, degraded, and fallow lands with Red Soil and hot and dry climate.

• The World Bank brokered water sharing agreement gives control over the three eastern rivers, Beas, Ravi and Sutlej to India, and the three western rivers, Indus, Chen ab and Jhelum to Pakistan.

• It is situated amongst the Eastern Ghats at an elevation of 1,501 metres (4,925 ft).

• It is the second highest mountain peak of Odisha after Deomali in Koraput district.

• They have been at the forefront of environmental conservation for centuries.

• The love of Bishnois for nature has helped them survive the droughts of the Thar Desert. It has also helped the inhabitant wildlife remain safe from poachers.

• It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham who also became its first Director General.

• The ASI is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country.

• Its name derives from Assamese Uma, another name for the Hindu goddess Parvati, the wife of Shiva; and ananda, which translates to "Joy".

• It is also known as Peacock Island as its structure resembles the splayed feathers of a peacock.