HISTORY OF HIMALAYAN SALT LAMP
Himalayan rock salt is claimed to be literally hundreds of millions of years old and to contain many minerals. In fact, it is claimed to contain all the trace elements needed by the human body. This salt is also claimed to having healing properties. The salt was said to be found in the Himalayan mountains, a range of peaks that spans Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and India. However, an investigation conducted by Tourist Watch that was published in 2002 showed that there are no salt mines in the Himalayas. The salt is actually mined in the Khewra mine in Pakistan, one of the largest salt mines in the world.
Geologists put the age of rock-salt found in Khewra at about 600 million years. In geological timescale this time period is called Precambrian. It is said that discovery of rock salt in Khewra area dates back to as early as circa 326 BC. According to a legend, the army of Alexander the great was resting in Khewra area after a battle with Raja Porus. Some horses of Alexander’s army were then seen licking rock salt in the area. Somebody from Alexander’s army noted down the incident in his ledger or diary and hence? We came to know that salt was discovered? Here circa 326 BC.? History is however silent? On which language this incident was recorded in (Greek?) or where is that diary now. But since those days people in the area continued to collect salt from the out crops of salt seams that were exposed at the hill surface.
These salt ranges are located at the foothills, between the valleys of the Indus, in the northern part of the Punjab region of Pakistan. It derives its name from extensive deposits of Crystal salt, which are one of the richest salt fields in the world; they are of Precambrian age. The salt range is more than 1,600 feet (490 m) in thickness and spread approximately 186 miles (300 km) beneath the Karakoram Range and the Great Himalayas of Pakistan. Home to the world's greatest masses of high mountains, nine of the world's fourteen 8,000-meter peaks are located here including
K-2. The world’s second highest mountain after the Mount Everest.
The Himalayas are one of the worlds last undisturbed treasures, mainly due to their remoteness and extremely harsh climate. They are also one of the most un-polluted areas of our planet and are rich in pure mineral salt deposits. Millions of years ago, as massive climactic changes took place, these changes combined with geological forces to create salt crystal rocks of unparalleled purity deep below the Himalayas. It is from these deep underground mines that Himalayan rock salt is now extracted in a very traditional and eco-friendly manner.
A Himalayan salt lamp is a natural chunk of salt rock taken from the mines found in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. Since the salt mines have been in existence for millions of years, they have gathered many minerals within their salt supply. Therefore, a piece of salt rock from these mines also contains the minerals of the earth that have accumulated for millennia, minerals which are effective in helping to ionize the air.
The chunk of salt is shaped, mounted to a wooden base, and drilled to form a hole that can accommodate a candle or a light bulb. It is made available in different sizes and shapes to give variety to the user. When used, the heat that is emitted by the bulb or by the flame makes the Himalayan salt lamp emit ions that are negatively charged. These negative ions then help produce cleaner air.
