a mountain massif in India on the southern Hindustan Peninsula, at the junction of the Western and Eastern Ghats. There are elevations to 2,633 m (Mount Dodabetta). The Nilgiri Hills, which are composed of gneisses, porphyries, and crystalline schists, have a plateau-like peak and steep slopes cut by gorges. Tall-grass meadows with patches of evergreen tropical forests and elfin woodlands are common. There are eucalyptus groves and tea and coffee plantations. Mountain resorts, such as Dotacamund and Coonoor, are situated on the massif.