In the physical geography of India, what is the main difference between the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats with respect to their mountain ranges?

Introduction / Context:
The Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats are two major mountain systems that frame the Indian peninsula. Exam questions often compare them in terms of location, continuity and elevation. Understanding their contrasting physical characteristics helps learners interpret climate, rainfall patterns and river courses on Indian maps.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• The question asks for the main difference between the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats. • Four possible aspects are listed: continuity, proximity to the coast, ending in the Nilgiri Hills and height. • We are looking for the most fundamental contrast commonly highlighted in textbooks.

Concept / Approach:
The Western Ghats form a more or less continuous, steep escarpment running parallel to the west coast with relatively few major gaps. In contrast, the Eastern Ghats are highly discontinuous and broken; they are cut by several large rivers such as the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, and appear as separate hill groups rather than a single continuous wall. This difference in continuity is repeatedly emphasised in Indian geography.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Visualise the Western Ghats as a long, almost unbroken chain close to the Arabian Sea coast. Step 2: Visualise the Eastern Ghats as scattered hill ranges and plateaus along the Bay of Bengal side, interrupted by river valleys and gaps. Step 3: Conclude that continuity or lack of continuity is the principal difference tested here.

Verification / Alternative check:
Textbooks commonly state that the Western Ghats are continuous, while the Eastern Ghats are discontinuous and dissected by rivers. Other aspects such as proximity to the coast and ending in the Nilgiris are either shared or less distinctive by comparison.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B (Proximity to the coast) is not a strong differentiator because both systems lie close to their respective coasts, even though the Western Ghats are generally nearer. Option C (Ending in the Nilgiri Hills) is misleading because both the Eastern and Western Ghats meet in the Nilgiri region, so this is a point of contact rather than a difference. Option D (Height) does show some differences, with parts of the Western Ghats being higher on average, but continuity is the more fundamental and widely taught contrast.

Common Pitfalls:
• Learners sometimes overemphasise the height difference and select height instead of continuity. • Others forget that both mountain systems interact at the Nilgiris and therefore mistakenly treat that point as a difference rather than a similarity.

Final Answer:
The main difference is in their continuity, with the Western Ghats being much more continuous than the broken Eastern Ghats.