DAY TRIP TO KHEWRA SALT MINE AND KATAS RAJ TEMPLES

The Khewra Salt Mine and the Katas Raj Temples are places that worth the visit if you are in Pakistan. They can be seen as part of a trip or just as a day trip from Islamabad like I’ve done a few months ago.

From Islamabad it’s about two hours and half driving via the M-2 motorway that links Islamabad to Lahore.

HOW TO GET THERE?

KHEWRA SALT MINE

The Khewra Salt Mines attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year making it one of the most visited places in Pakistan.

Not only it’s the largest reserve of edible salt in Pakistan, it also enjoys the status of being the oldest as well as the second-largest salt mine in the world.

Famous for the production of the pink Himalayan salt, the mine has more than 40 kilometres of tunnels with 19 levels with only seven of those located above the ground.

A funny story is told on how these salt reserves were discovered.

According to the legend when Alexander the Great crossed the Jhelum and Mianwali region during his Indian campaign they found the army’s horses licking the stones and some sick horses recovered after licking the rock salt stones.

It’s quite an enjoyable experience when it’s the peak of the summer as the temperature inside of the mine remains about 18–20 °C (64–68 °F) throughout the year.

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The Pakistani government has made improvements over the years to preserve the area like providing water supply and better entrance to the tunnels.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM YOUR VISIT

The visit starts with the purchase of your ticket near the car park. Entry fee for foreigners Rps 3000 and Rps 200 for locals.

Visitors are guided to the railway station where an old mine train has been converted to take passengers.

It’s really fun to go on the train and it’s the fastest way to walk from the entrance to the main hall. Also normally on board of the train there’s already a guide who will explain everything about the salt reserves and it’s super interesting to hear about.

Once you arrive inside you can either stick to the group from the train or visit on your own.

I stayed for a little bit with the group while the guide was explaining some of the features of the mines but then left on my own as it was a bit slow paced for me.

It’s really worth the visit inside. So many colours reflected on the salt. Also some impressive artwork can be seen all over the tunnels.

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The best ones are carvings of important Pakistani landmarks like Minar-e-Pakistan, Badshahi Mosque and Sheesh Mahal. It’s also really interesting to see the salty water pools inside.

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Salt from Khewra is used to make all sorts of decorative items like lamps, vases, ashtrays and statues which are very popular.

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The salt also contains medicinal properties. In raw form contains negligible amounts of calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulfates, and moisture; it also contains iron, zinc, copper, manganese, chromium, and lead as trace elements.

A clinical ward with 20 beds was established in 2007 in this area for the treatment of asthma and other respiratory diseases using salt therapy.

Salt therapy, also called halotherapy is a natural remedy to treat respiratory conditions including asthma, bronchitis, and allergies. It works by releasing small particles of salt into the air.

The salt treatment aims to recreate the environment at the beach multiplied times 600.

VISIT TO KATAS RAJ TEMPLE

Katas Raj is a complex of seven ancient temples surrounding a pond that is considered sacred by Hindus. It is believed to have been constructed 1500 years ago.

The Katas Raj Temples hold immense significance in the Hindu mythology.

It is believed the bluish-green water of the pond was formed by the tears of Lord Shiva, which he shed following the death of his wife.

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The remains of a Buddhist stupa can be seen in the area although most of it was badly damaged by time.

The area also has archaeological importance as a number of fossils and prehistoric axes and knives made of granite as well as artefacts like terracotta bangles and pottery have also been found at the site.

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The government made efforts to preserve the area like restoring the sacred pond and installation of informational blue boards around the temple complex but only the pond area looked rehabilitated and the rest was mostly damaged or disappeared.

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Pilgrims from India travel to the temple to participate in the Katas Raj Dham festival.

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I truly enjoyed my trip to the Khewra Salt Mines and it was fascinating to see so many colours and learn about all the salt properties.

The Katas Raj temples were disappointing because most of the things to see were in a bad state or disappeared completely and there wasn’t a lot of information around.

📌 PIN ME!

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