Valley of Kashmir is situated between

The Kashmir valley is an intermontane basin enclosed by two major ranges. To its south and south-west lies the Pir Panjal range, a Lesser Himalayan range that the Jawahar Tunnel and the Banihal pass cut through on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. To its north and north-east lies the Himadri or Greater Himalaya, continuing into the Zanskar range. So the correct answer is B.

Why the other options fail:

• A: The Kangra valley lies between the Dhauladhar and the Shivaliks in Himachal Pradesh. Neither range bounds Kashmir.
• C: The Mahabharat range runs through Nepal and the southern foothills of the Himalaya. It does not bound Kashmir, and Dhauladhar is in Himachal.
• D: Pir Panjal is correct on the southern side, but Mahabharat is the wrong northern boundary. The northern wall is the Greater Himalaya.

Core concept: the Kashmir valley is a Himalayan intermontane basin drained by the Jhelum. This links to Mains questions on Kashmir's climate, its tourism and trade routes, and the strategic importance of the Pir Panjal passes.

Trap: aspirants often confuse Pir Panjal with Dhauladhar, or assume Mahabharat lies in Jammu and Kashmir because it is a well-known Himalayan name.