In the Indian Himalayas, the Kullu Valley is situated between which two major mountain ranges?

Introduction / Context:
The Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh is one of the best known Himalayan valleys in India and is often mentioned in questions on physical geography. This question checks whether you can associate an important valley with the correct bounding mountain ranges inside the Western Himalaya. Knowing these range valley relationships helps you visualise the relief of northern India rather than only memorising names.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Kullu Valley is a well known valley in the state of Himachal Pradesh in the Western Himalaya.
• The options list different pairs of ranges such as the Dhauladhar Range, Pir Panjal Range, Ladakh Range, Lesser Himalaya and Siwalik.
• You are expected to recall which two ranges enclose this valley on either side.
• Standard school and competitive exam atlases mark Kullu along the Beas River between specific ranges.

Concept / Approach:
The Kullu Valley is a longitudinal valley carved mainly by the River Beas in the Western Himalaya. On one side of the valley lies the snow covered Dhauladhar Range and on the other side lies the Pir Panjal Range. The correct approach is to recall the relative positions of these ranges in Himachal Pradesh and then identify the valley that lies between them.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Kullu town and the surrounding valley are located along the Beas River in Himachal Pradesh, north of Mandi and south of the Rohtang Pass.Step 2: Note that the Dhauladhar Range forms a high wall to the south and south west of this stretch of the Beas Valley.Step 3: Remember that the Pir Panjal Range lies to the north and north east of the same area, separating Kullu from Lahaul and other interior regions.Step 4: Conclude that the valley itself is sandwiched between the Dhauladhar Range on one side and the Pir Panjal Range on the other, so the correct pair must mention both of these ranges.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by looking at a physical map of Himachal Pradesh that shows named ranges and valleys. The Beas Valley around Kullu will clearly appear between ridges labelled Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal. Many standard geography references and exam preparation books also describe Kullu as lying between these two ranges, which confirms that this pairing is accepted in competitive examinations.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Ladakh Range and Pir Panjal Range is incorrect because the Ladakh Range lies far to the north in the cold desert region of Ladakh, not near the Kullu region of Himachal Pradesh. Ranjoti Range and Nag Tibba Range is wrong because these lesser known ranges are associated with other parts of the Himalaya and are not the classic boundaries of the Kullu Valley. Lesser Himalaya and Siwalik Range is too broad and also geographically misplaced, since Kullu lies in the higher Western Himalaya rather than between the outer low Siwalik hills and the Lesser Himalaya in the foothill belt.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to select the Ladakh Range simply because many students associate famous valleys with Ladakh, even though Kullu is in Himachal Pradesh. Another pitfall is to focus only on the word Himalaya and assume any combination that mentions Lesser Himalaya or Siwalik must be right, without checking the exact regional location. Some learners also confuse Kullu with the Kashmir Valley, which is associated with different ranges and a different river system.

Final Answer:
The Kullu Valley lies between the Dhauladhar Range and Pir Panjal Range, which together frame this scenic valley in the Western Himalaya.