Editing Vindhya Range (section)

{{short description|Series of mountain ranges and highlands in north-central India}}
{{Redirect|Vindhya}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name              = Vindhya Range
| other_name        = Vindhyachal, Vindhyas
| etymology         ="Obstructor" or "Hunter" ([[Sanskrit]])
| photo             = Vindhya.jpg
| country           = [[India]]
| subdivision2_type = States
| subdivision2      = {{hlist|[[Madhya Pradesh]]|[[Chhattisgarh]]|[[Gujarat]]| Southern parts of [[Uttar Pradesh]]|[[Bihar]]}}
| borders_on        = {{hlist|[[Satpura Range]]|[[Chota Nagpur Plateau]]}}
| highest           = <!-- Note: Amarkantak is not considered a part of the Vindhyas according to the modern definition -->
| highest_location  = Sadbhawna Shikhar / Kalumar Peak in Damoh district hoti    = 752
<!-- Coordinates of the highest point -->
| coordinates       = {{coord|23|28|0|N|79|44|25|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| orogeny           =
<!-- Locator map; takes coordinates from "highest point" (and perhaps "range"; need to experiment and then correct this comment) -->
| map               = India
| map_caption       = Topographic map of India showing the highest point of the Vindhya range
}}
The '''Vindhya Range''' (also known as '''Vindhyachal''') ({{IPA|hns|ʋɪnd̪ʱjə|pron}}) is a complex, discontinuous [[Mountain chain|chain of mountain]] [[ridge]]s, hill ranges, highlands and plateau [[escarpment]]s in west-central [[India]].

Technically, the Vindhyas do not form a single mountain range in the geological sense. The exact extent of the Vindhyas is loosely defined, and historically, the term covered a number of distinct hill systems in [[central India]], including the one that is now known as the [[Satpura Range]]. Today, the term principally refers to the [[escarpment]] and its hilly extensions that runs north of and roughly parallel to the [[Narmada River]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]]. Depending on the definition, the range extends up to [[Gujarat]] in the west, [[Uttar Pradesh]] and [[Bihar]] in the north, and [[Chhattisgarh]] in the east. The average elevation of the Vindhyas is also dependent on different sources.

The word Vindhya is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] word ''vaindh'' (to obstruct) and is in reference to a mythological story. The Vindhya range is also known as "Vindhyachala" or "Vindhyachal"; the suffix ''achala'' (Sanskrit) or ''achal'' ([[Hindi]]) refers to a mountain.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

The Vindhyas have a great significance in [[Hindu mythology|Indian mythology]] and [[History of India|history]]. Several ancient texts mention the Vindhyas as the southern boundary of the ''[[Āryāvarta]]'', the territory of the ancient [[Indo-Aryan peoples]]. Although today [[Indo-Aryan languages]] are also spoken south of the Vindhyas, the range continues to be considered as the traditional boundary between [[North India|north]] and [[south India]]. The former [[Vindhya Pradesh]] was named after the Vindhya Range.