Seshachalam Hills are hilly ranges part of the Eastern Ghats in southern

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

state, in southeastern

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The Seshachalam hill ranges are predominantly present in Tirupati district of the Rayalaseema region in

Geology

The ranges were formed during the Precambrian supereon (3.8 billion to 539 million years ago). Minerals contained in these hills include sandstone and shale interbedded with limestone. The ranges are bounded by the Rayalaseema uplands to the west and northwest, and the Nandyal Valley to the north.

Religious significance

Tirupati, a major Hindu pilgrimage town is located in the hills. The hills contain seven peaks namely, Anjanadri, Garudadri, Narayanadri, Neeladri, Seshadri, Venkatadri and Vrishabhadri, the highest at about 600 m (2,000 ft) above sea level. The seven peaks are said to represent the seven hoods of Lord Adisesha, the king of serpents in Hindu mythology. The Srivenkateshwara National Park is also located in these ranges. The famous Natural Arch, Tirumala Hills is also a part of Seshachalam Hills, which dates back to the period in between Middle and Upper Proterozoic Eon. The Seshachalam hill ranges running to North West to South East, over to a length about 80 km and width ranged from 32 to 40 km in the two Rayalaseema region districts, Tirupati and Kadapa. These ranges have typical gorges and gaps due to faulting and stream erosion resulting in to discontinuous ranges. The altitude of Seshachalam hill ranges varies from 168 to 1187 m above MSL. The highest hill peak is Tellaralla penta (1187 m) and most of the other hill peaks are above 900 m MSL.

Protected reserve forest

In 2010, it was designated as a

Biosphere Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

. It has large reserves of red sandalwood which is used in medicines, soaps, spiritual rituals, etc.

Gallery

File:Malwadi Gundam waterfalls on Tirumala hills.jpg, Malwadi Gundam waterfalls on Tirumala hills File:After heavy rain sky has been joined with cirrus and sun.......!.jpg, A scenic view of Seshachalam Hills

References

Encyclopædia Britannica

Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve
Hills of Andhra Pradesh Tirupati district Tirupati Eastern Ghats Geography of Tirupati district {{AndhraPradesh-geo-stub