There are obvious choices one can have to visit before the
onset of weekend like Murree, Taxila and the surroundings of Salt range. Our
friends decided to do something that can be done in a day, after lazy debate
one of us suggested to visit Khewra Salt mines alongside Khatas Raj.
Eventually we decided only to go for Salt mines as some of were doubtful about
it. It took us good two and half hours before we reached Khewra via Motorway-lilah-khewra
route around ten.
History:
Slat mines are the Pakistan’s largest and world’s second
largest mines. In the lore we have been told when Alexander the great visited
Asia in 320BC, he stopped his army at this spot and found his horse licking
rocks which led to the discovery of the rock salt.
Slat trading has been around since Mughal era it fooled Sikh
regime, lastly British took over the mines in around 1849, and tour guide told
us that Engineer named Dr. Warth made the min tunnel which was further
developed for the extraction.
Evidence of salt trading dates back to the Mughal era, then
followed by the Sikh regime. The British took over the mines in 1849. Dr Warth,
a British mining engineer created the main tunnel in 1872. Then the area was
further developed and more efficient means of salt extraction was initiated.
Slat reserves are 99% pure. The mines have 19 stories, eight
above the ground and ten below it and tunnels length amount to 25 miles.
At a Glance:
The visiting times are around 9am to 5pm and visit can be
done on day of the week even on Sunday besides Eid Holidays. It was scary for
me at first to just to go in dark tunnel as I was never been to the one before,
so there were two options for us either to walk or take the mini trolley
trains, we decided to take the train, these trolley train seems old but was
working just fine.
It felt like heaven
inside the tunnel as we have been outside and it actually felt like July, as we
were enjoying the cold breeze of the tunnel we reached our destination.
The first, that we saw, was that this beautiful Mosque that was made out of salt as the
salt bricks used have been of different color form transparent to light pink
they were glowing beautifully due to the light setups inside it mosque seems to
having a halo of light around it when seen from far.
We find our way to Pul-e-sarat
(salt bridge) , bridge was narrow walkway over 100ft- deep salt water pool,
pool seemed to have been reflecting light almost creating rainbow in salt water
later guide told us the water was crystal clear and all the colors reflections
were due to slat at the bottom. The bridge was so narrow that tourist were
being anxious about passing moreover guide introduced it such way that was to be alert about.
After passing that difficult passage way we made it alive to
the Dead Ponds, they are basically
slat ponds highly saturated and found if you just fall into them you cannot
drown just like dead sea but we were allowed to touch the water as it was
highly corrosive, so guess you cannot drown but you still might get hurt if you
decided to go for it.
We decided to pay the guide so that we can visit other tombs
and that is where the history was, it seems that there were few rooms established
for the purpose of office during the British Regime, other than Hindu Temple,
Church and Vintage train engine was still great to see.
Then, we came across Sheesh
Mahal “The Palace of Mirrors” it was the discovery of the shiny slat that
seemed to twinkling but there was no mirrors there though. On our way back we
came across miniature salt models of Minar-e-Pakistan,
Mall road of Murree and Great Wall of China.
On our way out guide told us about the underground wards
that were built on trial basis for treatment of patience of respiratory
diseases also there was setup of Asthma
Resort for Halotherpy . One of
the amazing features were the small local restaurants and refreshment centers
with actual sitting area we find it very amazing and I think they were a
blessing for the who just walked into
mine via tunnel it’s like around a mile into the tunnel for the actual show to
begin. Anyhow, we were done we decided take a breather at this place just
outside named Khewra Salt mines Tourist
Resort.
After visiting Khewra we intend to visit neighboring mines
in the future, having visited we would recommend you to visit if your plan
includes something different, if it’s still not convincing here is souvenir to
push over the edge.
Now a thing like that is hard to miss. Hope to see you on same tunnels one day.
