The Khewra Salt Mine is the second largest salt mine in the world. It is located, as the name suggests, in the town of Khewra in Pakistan’s Punjab province, which lies in the salt range of the Potohar plateau. The Khewra Salt Mine is famous for producing pink Himalayan salt and is a widely visited tourist attraction.
Salt production in the mine continues, but a section has been designated for tourists. Here, one can admire enormous salt chambers of various shapes and sizes, saltwater ponds, and interesting sculptures. It is worth taking the train ride into its interior, as the route might be too long for some to walk (about 2 kilometers one way).
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History of the Khewra Mine
The salt deposits in Khewra were discovered when Alexander the Great crossed the Jhelum region during his Indian campaign in 326 BC. Interestingly, legend says that it wasn’t humans who discovered the deposits but his army’s horses, which unexpectedly began licking the stones. However, salt trade in this place only began during the Mughal era, more than a thousand years later.
The Khewra Salt Mine is also known as the Mayo Salt Mine because it was visited by Richard Southwell Bourke, known as “Lord Mayo,” who was the Viceroy of India for several years. The main tunnel was developed by H. Warth, a mining engineer, in 1872 during British rule. Pakistan regained the mine only in 1974, and to this day, it remains the country’s largest source of salt, producing over 350,000 tons of pure halite annually.
Mine Construction and Salt Extraction
The Khewra Salt Mine is excavated at the base of a thick layer of highly folded, faulted evaporites of the Salt Range. It consists of 19 levels, with as many as 11 being underground. It extends about 730 meters into the mountains, and the total length of its tunnels is about 40 km. Extraction is carried out using the chamber and pillar method, which involves extracting only half of the salt while leaving the other half as support for what lies above.
Properties of Khewra Salt and Its Uses
Khewra salt is the most renowned rock salt in all of Pakistan. In its raw form, it contains small amounts of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, as well as iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and chromium as trace elements. It has many uses: it is used for cooking, as bath salt, and as a raw material for various industries, not to mention the decorative products made from it. These include salt lamps, vases, and sculptures, which are exported to many countries.
Tourism
The Khewra Salt Mine is an attraction visited by over 200,000 tourists annually, bringing in significant revenue. Tourists are taken into the mine by the Khewra Salt Mines Railway. Inside, they can admire saltwater pools and artistic sculptures, including a replica of the Minar-e-Pakistan tower, a statue of Allama Iqbal, and a model of the Great Wall of China. Guided tours are also available for those interested.
In 2003, two phases of expansion of the surrounding facilities and tourist attractions were carried out at a total cost of 9 million rupees. In 2007, a clinical section with 20 beds was established in the mine for treating asthma and other respiratory diseases using salt therapy. In February 2011, Pakistan Railways began operating special trains for tourists from Lahore and Rawalpindi to Khewra. On-site, you will also find souvenir shops filled with fascinating items made of salt.
If you are in the area, I encourage you to visit this unique attraction! The Khewra Salt Mine is a place worth seeing because of its significance and impressive size. So don’t forget to add it to your list! Has anyone already visited the most famous Pakistani mine? Write in the comments what impressed you the most?
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