Melting and solidification behaviour in the deep penetrution welding process is different from that in conventional welding process in deep penetration processes there is keyhole formation and the full thickness of the plate receives the are heat input unlike conventional processes in which the heat input is received only by the surface nodes. In the present study, the thermal analysis of molten pool formation and solidification keyhole welding using plasma are welding has been done using the finite element method. The model accounts for the several phenomena associated with welding, like the distributed are heat input over the top surface and along the thickness, the temperature-dependent material properties. convection and radiation heat losses etc. The analysis is performed for different combinations of parameters. viz welding current and welding speed, which have the maximum influence on molten pool shape and solidification behaviour. The model has also been validated by conducting experimental measurement of thermal cycles experienced by the plate for different welding parameters. The weld pool dimensions. viz. the length and widlh are found to increase with inincreasing current and decereasing welding speed. Thermal cycles at locations close to the weld reach a higher value of temperature and the time for peak temperature is also less but at farther locations the peak temperature reached is lower and the time for peak temperature is higher. Details of the model, the experimental results obtained and the solidifications charateristics of the pool are discussed in this paper.