Khewra Salt Mine
The Khewra salt mine is situated north of Pind Dad Khan in Jehlum. The mine was opened in 1872. The mine is famous for its production of salt including Himalaya (pink) salt. It is one of the major tourist attractions in Pakistan. Almost 250000 people visit this place. It is the largest salt mine in Pakistan and second in the world. The mine was discovered by Alexender’s army but opened for trade in the Mughal era. In this article, we will learn about the Khewra salt mine in detail.
Area Of Salt Mine
The mine is located 945 feet above sea level. The mine is spread over 2400 feet in the mountain and the underground area is 11 km square.
Owner of Mine
The mine is owned by Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation. The mining and all the production process is looked after by the PMDC.
Shades of Salt
The salt is found in three shades pink, red, and white. Tourists mostly visit this place to see these rare colors of salt. The pink salt is exported all over the world.
Production
The production of salt according to (the 2021-2022) record is 258126 tons. The estimated range of salt is 82 million tons. The mine contains a negligible amount of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and moisture. The salt is exported to many other countries including India, USA, and UK.
History
It is believed that the salt mine was formed by the evaporation of the sea from the area. The salt mine was discovered by Alexender’s arm. The horses were licking the salt stones which help them in recovery. The trade of salt started in the Mughal era in the markets. After the downfall of the Mughals the salt mine was taken over by Hari Singh and Gulab Singh of Jammu. In 1872, the British took over the Sikhs and further developed the mine. The government improved the roads and tunnels to the mine. The water supply was also an issue but the issue was resolved.
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Tourism
The Khewra Mine is also a tourist attraction. Almost 250000 tourists visit this place every year. The visitors are taken into the mine on a train. There are also swimming pools made of salt stone. There are also artistic carvings inside the mine including a statue of Allama Iqbal, a replica of Minar e Pakistan. There is also a 75-meter assembly hall and a salt bridge without any pillars. A cafe named Sheesh Mehal (made up of salt) is also in this mine.
Summary of the Khewra Salt mine
In this article, we talk about the history, production, tourism, etc of the Khewra salt mine. The Khewra salt mine has different shades of salt which are the reason behind its fame. It is definitely a place worth visiting. Hope you will visit this amazing place.