Hurtling across the
desert in Rajasthan is a train carrying only salt. This is not a scene out of a
film but a daily occurrence at the Sambhar lake. Sambhar means salt and true to
its name, this is India’s largest saltwater lake located off the National
Highway 8 on the way to Ajmer and approximately 90 km west of Jaipur. The lake
covers an area of 190 sq km with a length of 22.5 km and with a width that
stretches between 3-11 km. The mystery is how a desert area came to have a
saline water lake. There are many explanations for this. The most plausible is that the salt could
potentially be a result of the weathering of Aravalli rocks present in the lake
watershed. These rocks contain minerals
like feldspar that give rise to soluble sodium salts. The gypsum present may
also contribute to the accumulation of sodium. The rivers in the catchment are
responsible for the draining of salt into the lake basin. Several fresh water
bodies surround the Sambhar lake and have established villages around them. One
of the most prominent is the Devyani kund, also known as little Pushkar.
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| The Salt Train |
Historically, the lake and its environs are of great significance. The Sambhar lake is supposed to be the Goddess Shakambhari Devi’s gift to her followers. Shakambari Devi is considered to be the guardian of the Chauhan Rajputs. It is believed that the Devi converted the forests where the lake stands today into a field of precious metals to show appreciation for the devotion of her followers. However, people worried about the feuds this wealth would create and requested the Devi to take back her boon. The Devi converted the fields into salt that would still bring prosperity, but not lead to conflicts. A temple dedicated to her stands at one edge of the lake. Salt extraction has been carried out at the lake for at least 1000 years and the Rajputs, Marathas, Scindias, the Moghuls and the even the British have carried out the commercial trade of salt from this area. The Devyani kund is mentioned in the Mahabharata as the place where Devyani, daughter of the guru of demons, Shukracharya married the King Yayati. A temple dedicated to Devyani stands by this Kund. This fresh water body is surrounded by many places of religious significance. At one end is also a structure where it is believed the Emperor Akbar camped on their way to Ajmer Sharif. Some say that this is where Akbar married Jodhabai.
Sambhar lake with its
brackish water also has a unique ecosystem that attracts flamingoes and other
water birds in thousands during the winter months. The lake is covered with a
pink hue during the winter months, from the flamingoes that visit.
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| Flamingoes lending their pink hue to the Sambhar Lake |
The rulers of Jaipur and Jodhpur who jointly owned the lake until the 1800s, leased out the salt pans to the British in 1870, who brought about radical changes in salt extraction with improved technology. After independence, the Government of India took over the salt production. The operation is now managed by Sambhar Salts Limited, a joint venture of Hindustan Salts and the Government of Rajasthan.
The Sambhar
Salt Works maintains a functional circuit house that was built in 1880. This
wonderful building still has an operational lift operating through a pulley
system to haul food and related items to the second storey. The circuit house
with its spacious and lofty rooms has a balcony that offers a view of the
entire lake system. One can picture the British officer in charge sitting there
and observing the salt extraction in progress. The train that carries salt is
perhaps the only private railway line in the country that does not come under
the Indian Railways. There are a few more heritage buildings around the circuit
house. There is also a unique salt museum housed in a beautiful building, but
in dire need of repairs.
It
is hoped that this beautiful place is restored and managed and put on the map of heritage sites.
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