Write a short note on Greater Himalaya or Himadri.

Greater Himalayas or Himadri (महान हिमालय / हिमाद्रि):

The Greater Himalayas (Himadri / Inner Himalayas) is the northernmost, highest, most continuous, and colossal mountain range of the Himalayan orogenic system:

• 1. Dimensions & Elevation:
  • Stretches ~2,400 km from Nanga Parbat in the west (Indus gorge) to Namcha Barwa in the east (Brahmaputra gorge).
  • Average elevation is ~6,100 metres with widths ranging from 120 to 190 km.
• 2. Geological Composition: Core consists of ancient Archean granites and crystalline metamorphic gneisses, overlain by metamorphosed sedimentary strata.
• 3. Highest Peaks of the World: Mount Everest (8,848.86 m - Sagarmatha), Kanchenjunga (8,586 m), Makalu (8,485 m), Dhaulagiri, Nanga Parbat, and Nanda Devi.
• 4. Perennial Glacial Cradles & Passes:
  • Houses colossal glaciers: Gangotri (source of Ganga), Yamunotri, Milam, and Zemu.
  • Important High Mountain Passes: Zoji La (J&K), Shipki La and Bara Lacha La (Himachal), Mana and Niti La (Uttarakhand), Nathu La and Jelep La (Sikkim).