India, Jan. 14 -- The Aravalli Range has shaped the cultural life of north-western India in ways that are subtle, layered, and deeply enduring. Stretching nearly 700 kilometres across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi, these ancient hills have long acted as both a physical and cultural divide, giving rise to distinct regions suchas Marwar (western Rajasthan) and Mewar (south-central Rajasthan) and identities such as the Marwari and Mewari communities.

Long before modern borders and infrastructure, the Aravallis guided where people settled, how they travelled, and how they farmed. Villages emerged along slopes and seasonal streams where rainwater could be slowed and stored, while the hills offered shelter from hot desert winds and sh...