The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri, are a north-south chain of mountains or hills that form the western boundary of the Deccan plateau region. They rise suddenly from the Arabian Sea's coastal plain as a variable-height escarpment, but their eastern slopes are much gentler. The Western Ghats are made up of a succession of remnant plateaus and peaks connected by saddles and passes. The Western Ghats receive heavy rainfall, and several major rivers—most notably the Krishna (Kistna) and the two holy rivers, the Godavari and the Kaveri have their headwaters there. The Western Ghats mountain chain is one of 36 global biodiversity hotspots, with substantial biodiversity and endemicity, particularly among vascular plants, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. This mountain range stretches 140,000 square kilometres across the Indian states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. This region is home to the world's greatest populations of tigers and Asian elephants, as well as important populations of other threatened species such as dholes and gaurs.

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