Himalayan Rock Salt Candle Holders and Lamps: Amber Glow of Eco-Friendly, Tradition-Rich Lighting

Culture joins geology and history to account for the special associations of Himalayan rock salt over that mined in Austria and Germany. Anthropologists, geologists, historians, and sociologists know of Pakistan’s Himalayan rock salt as:

• anciently formed;
• environmentally mined; and
• traditionally packaged.

Analyses lead geologists to place Himalayan rock salt formation within the confines of the Precambrian eon beginning and ending 4,600,000,000 and 541,000,000 years ago.

Miners and processors likewise move to old rhythms as master craftsmen of:

• abilities passed from generation to generation;  
• agilities pursued 4,921 feet (1,499.92 meters) below ground-level;
• method realized without explosives; and
• preparation unadulterated by such abrasive industrial procedures as bleaching rock salt’s iron oxide-determined, irregular-formed, nature-guided off-white, pink, red, or transparent looks. 

Local tradition nods to the horses of Alexander III (July 21, 356 B.C.E. – June 11, 323 B.C.E.) of Macedon as the discoverers of the Khewra salt mine within the salt range hill system of eastern Pakistan’s Punjab region.  Regional traditions additionally offer Himalayan rock salt as aesthetically and efficaciously multi-purposeful. They provide anecdotes and inspiration for rock salt’s continuing multi-tasking in:

• cleansing, as bath crystals and as lighting crystals whose heating wicks ambient humidity, odors, and pollutants;
• conservation, as diluted brine for de-icing and refrigeration;
• cuisine, as healthy, tasty table salt; and
• culture, as sculptured lamps, statues, tableware, and vases whose configurations during India’s Mughal Empire (April 21, 1526 – September 14, 1857) keep craftsmen and customers inspired. 

Specialists quarrel over whether heated rock salt crystals are capable of emitting negative ions and positive waves to recharge energy levels and remove environmental contaminants. The point nevertheless remains that Himalayan rock salt favors environmental lifespans, human lifestyles, or wildlife cycles, what with:

• extraction achievable without dynamite;
• processing realizable without bleaching; and
• usage sustainable without preservatives.

From non-industrialized mining through packaging, skilled craftsmen sculpt Himalayan rock salt into beloved products whose natural looks affirm natural inputs and processes, be they flavorful powders or sculptured crystals.

Quality hand-made products tend not to lose favor. Those who appreciate natural beauty therefore understand the warm amber glow of eco-friendly, tradition-rich lighting diffused by Himalayan rock salt candle holders and lamps. 

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Trace minerals are responsible for pink-tinted Himalayan pink salt crystals.
Trader Joe's Himalayan Pink Salt Crystals; produced in Pakistan, packed in South Africa: Jun Seita, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/jseita/5929309184/

The horses of Alexander the Great are credited with the discovery of the Khewra Salt Mines.
Alexander and his horse Bucephalus; detail of ca. 1st century BCE mosaic on Battle of Issu found in Pompeii in the House of the Faun
Museo archeologico nazionale (National Archaeological Museum), Naples, southwest Italy: Berthold Werner, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alexander_and_Bucephalus_-_Battle_of_Issus_mosaic_-_Museo_Archeologico_Nazionale_-_Naples_BW.jpg

Crystal Valley: tunnel in Khewra Salt Mines with rock salt crystals in walls and ceiling illuminated
Khewra Salt Mines, Jhelum district, northeastern Punjab province, eastern Pakistan: Smsarmad, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crystal_Valley_(Khewra_Salt_Mines).JPG

A light source placed in the hollowed interior of Himalayan rock salt block casts appealing orange or pink glows.
Toodyay Community Resource Centre workshop, Wheatbelt Region, southeastern Western Australia; Tuesday, April 23, 2013, 17:00: Gnangarra, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Himalayian_salt_lamp_gnangarra-1000.jpg

Souvenir shops outside Khewra Salt Mines sell salt-based products.
salt crystal lamps; Khewra, Jhelum District, northern Punjab Province, eastern Pakistan; Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007, 11:31: Mohammad Dawood Majoka (Dawoodmajoka), Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SaltLamps.JPG

Schimmel, Annemarie. 2004. The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture. London, England, U.K.: Reaktion Books Ltd.