The Aravalli Range has returned to the centre of national attention after the Supreme Court accepted the Union Environment Ministry’s revised definition of the range, one that limits protection to landforms rising above 100 metres in elevation. The decision has sparked protests across Rajasthan, with environmentalists and local communities warning of far-reaching ecological and economic consequences.
Under the new definition, nearly 90 per cent of the Aravallis in Rajasthan (made up largely of low-lying hillocks) will no longer qualify as protected terrain. Of almost 1.6 lakh hill formations in the state, only 1,048 meet the 100-metre criterion, effectively stripping regulatory safeguards from the vast majority of the range.
The controversy has reignited a crucial question: what exactly are the Aravallis, and why do they matter far beyond their height?
How Old Are The Aravallis? Not Just Hills, But A Civilisational Landscape
Stretching from Gujarat through Rajasthan to Haryana and Delhi, the Aravallis are among the oldest mountain systems on Earth, and even older than the Himalayas! But that’s not the only reason for their importance. Their value also lies in what they have shaped – cities, forests, water systems, wildlife corridors, and political history.
Unlike the Himalayas, the Aravallis do not dominate skylines. Instead, they quietly underpin life across western and north India, acting as a natural barrier against desertification, a groundwater recharge zone, and a cultural spine along which kingdoms once rose.
Cities Born Of The Aravallis
In addition to Gurgaon and Faridabad that shares edges with the ranges, several of Rajasthan’s most celebrated cities exist because of the geography created by the Aravallis.
Udaipur, Ajmer And Pushkar
Udaipur, often called the City of Lakes, sits within a bowl of forested hills. Its lakes, including Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Udai Sagar, are products of Aravalli catchments that historically ensured water security in an otherwise arid region. Ajmer and Pushkar, other holy cities in Rajasthan, also lie along ancient Aravalli passes that once connected trading routes across the subcontinent. These corridors shaped religious movement, commerce, and settlement patterns for centuries.
Even Jodhpur, Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur are located in or near the Aravalli ranges.
Mount Abu, Rajasthan’s Only Hill Station
At the southern end of the range lies Mount Abu, Rajasthan’s only hill station and the highest point in the Aravallis. Beyond tourism, Mount Abu is a sacred and architectural landmark, home to the Dilwara Jain Temples which are masterworks of marble craftsmanship that would not exist without the cool, elevated refuge the hills provided.
Forts That Follow The Ridge
The Aravallis are inseparable from Rajasthan’s martial history. Rajput rulers used the hills as natural fortification, building strongholds that followed the contours of the land rather than imposing upon it. Among the most dramatic is Kumbhalgarh Fort, whose 36-kilometre-long wall—second only to the Great Wall of China—snakes across Aravalli ridges. The fort was designed to be nearly impregnable, using terrain as its first line of defence.
Further north, forts such as Amer Fort and Alwar Fort overlook valleys shaped by the range. These were not isolated monuments but parts of a continuous defensive geography that stretched across kingdoms. You can also visit the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, another famous hill fort of Rajasthan that is located in the Aravalli ranges that are spread across the state.
Forests and Wildlife Corridors
Ecologically, the Aravallis form one of North India’s most critical forest belts. Though often scrubby in appearance, these forests support remarkable biodiversity and serve as wildlife corridors between protected areas.
Sariska Tiger Reserve
Sariska Tiger Reserve, located within the Aravallis, is home to tigers, leopards, striped hyenas, jackals, and over 200 bird species. Its dry deciduous forests are adapted to fragile soil systems that depend on even low-elevation hills for stability.
Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary
Further south, the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary shelters wolves, sloth bears, and leopards across rugged Aravalli terrain. These ecosystems rely not just on peaks, but on continuous hill systems, many of which fall below the newly defined 100-metre threshold.
Ranthambore National Park
Arguably one of India’s most famous national parks, primarily due to the abundance of tigers in the area, Ranthambore is also located at the junction of the Aravalli and Vindhya hill ranges.
Jawai Hills, Pali
Jawai Hills in Pali, Rajasthan, is famous as India’s “Land of Leopards,” a unique wildlife area in the Aravalli Range known for its granite formations, Jawai Dam, and incredible leopard sightings alongside villagers, offering safaris, treks, crocodile viewing, and cultural experiences with the Rabari tribe. It’s a less traditional region where leopards roam freely near human settlements.
Aravalli Biodiversity Park, Gurugram, Haryana
Spread over 153.7 hectares, this park is one of the few remaining green patches in Delhi-NCR, was opened to the public in 2010, and has since become very popular spot among nature enthusiasts, birdwatchers and wildlife researchers. In Haryana and Delhi, remnants of the range also survive in places like Mangar Bani and the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, offering rare green cover in one of the world’s most polluted urban regions.
Why Are People Protesting To #SaveAravalis?
Environmental experts argue that redefining the Aravallis purely by height ignores how the range actually functions. Low-lying hillocks play a disproportionate role in water retention, soil stability, and microclimate regulation. Once stripped of protection, these areas become vulnerable to mining, construction, and fragmentation. For Rajasthan, already one of India’s most water-stressed states, the consequences could be severe. The Aravallis slow the advance of the Thar Desert, recharge aquifers, and moderate extreme heat. Losing regulatory oversight over most of the range risks accelerating desertification and groundwater depletion.
