It covers most of the Indian States of Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh excluding the coastal regions, and minor portions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The Deccan Traps in the north west were formed by multiple layers of igneous rocks laid down by basaltic lava flows following a massive volcanic eruption that occurred during the end of the cretaceous period (66 mya).

The underlying bed consists of granite and sedimentary rocks formed during the precambrian era and the formation of Gondwana.

The plateau slopes gently from the west to east, resulting in most of the principal rivers flowing eastwards towards the Bay of Bengal.

The Deccan plateau region was ruled by several kingdoms in the Indian history such as Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas, Satavahanas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, Kadambas, Kakatiyas, and Western Gangas.

In the later medieval era, the lower plateau was ruled by the Vijayanagara empire, and the upper portion by the Bahmani kingdom, and its successors, the Deccan sultanates.

[5][6][7] Several dynasties such as the Pandyas of Madurai, the Cholas of Thanjavur, the Zamorins of Kozhikode, the Satavahanas of Amaravati, the Pallavas of Kanchi, the Kadambas of Banavasi, the Western Gangas of Kolar, the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, the Chalukyas of Badami, the Hoysalas of Belur, and the Kakatiyas of Orugallu ruled over the region from the 6th century BCE to the 14th century CE.

[14] The Maratha Empire founded by Chatrapati Shivaji, briefly captured the region in the early 18th century CE.

These rocks were laid down by basaltic lava flows which emerged from deep inside the Earth's crust following a massive volcanic eruption.

Scientists state that the volcanic event would have released large amounts of ash, dust and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

These soils have a high clay content, retain moisture and are resistant to erosion, but develop cracks during the dry season.

The gneiss peneplain region in the low rainfall areas in the eastern vicinity of the Western Ghats consist of infertile red soil.

[37] Stewart Gordon (1998) notes that Deccan is a "relational term" and historically the border of Deccan has varied from Tapti River to the Godavari River, depending on the southern boundary of the northern empires and is used to denote "the area beyond the southern border of a northern-based kingdom" of India.

[39] Geographers have defined the extent of Deccan region using various physical features and indices such as rainfall, vegetation, or soil type.

[38] As per a broader geographical definition, the region consists of the peninsular tableland lying to the south of the Tropic of Cancer, marked by the Vindhya-Satpura ranges in the north.

[37] The Deccan is a plateau region extending over an area of 422,000 km2 (163,000 sq mi) and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula.

[40][41] It covers most of the Indian states of Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh excluding the coastal regions, and minor portions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

[28] During the dry summer months of April – May, heat builds up on the interior of the Deccan Plaeau, which draws air from the sea.

[49] The rising air cools and brings about orographic precipitation along the western coast, which signifies the onset of the monsoon season in June.

[50] By the time the air rises above the mountains, it becomes dry, resulting in a rain shadow region with very little rainfall on the leeward side towards the interior of the Deccan plateau.

[51] The region receives most of the rainfall during the months of July to September and the rains feed the rivers that flow into basins and then into the Bay of Bengal.

scrub lands are common in the low rainfall regions with dry deciduous forests found in the southern part of the plateau.

[60][61][62] Evidence of prehistoric religion in the region comes from scattered Mesolithic rock paintings depicting dances and rituals, such as the Kupgal petroglyphs of eastern Karnataka, at Stone Age sites.

[70][71][72] Agriculture is often difficult in low rainfall areas, which require additional irrigation facilities while it is more feasible in the river valleys.

[80][81][82] The presence of these hubs has spurred economic growth and attracted foreign investments and job seekers from other parts of the country.

[88] The women traditionally wear a sari, a garment that consists of a drape varying from 5 yards (4.6 m) to 9 yards (8.2 m) in length and 2 feet (0.61 m) to 4 feet (1.2 m) in breadth that is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff, as according to Indian philosophy, the navel is considered as the source of life and creativity.

[89][90][91] The men wear a dhoti, a 4.5 m (15 ft) long, white rectangular piece of non-stitched cloth often bordered in brightly coloured stripes.