Kallar Kahar:
Kallar Kahar is a subdivision of Chakwal District in Punjab. It is famous for its natural gardens, peacocks and a salt water lake.The main attraction of the eastern Salt Range are the shrine of Saidan Shah at Choa Saidan Shah, the lake and shrine of Abdul Qadir Gilani at Kallar Kahar and the Hindu Temple Complex at Katas. Kallar Kahar is located about 135 km from Rawalpindi. The Temple of Shiva at Katas (10th century AD) and other temples around Katas are valuable pieces of architecture and history.
How to get there
Kalar Kahar is accessible from Lahore-Rawalpindi Motorway and is located 25 kilometres southwest of Chakwal along the motorway.
How to get there
Kalar Kahar is accessible from Lahore-Rawalpindi Motorway and is located 25 kilometres southwest of Chakwal along the motorway.
Salt Mine:
Khewra Salt Mines is a salt mine located in Khewra, Jhelum District, Punjab in Pakistan, about 160 kilometres from Islamabad and 260 kilometres from Lahore. It attracts up to 40,000 visitors per year and is the second largest salt mine in the world. Situated in the foothills of the Salt Range, the Khewra Salt Mines are the oldest in the sub-continent.
A tourist train runs inside the mine tunnels. There are some incredible sculptures and structures inside the mine made up of salt. There are plenty of popular souvenir shops in the region where tourists can obtain some incredibly crafted lamps, sculptures and ornaments made up of salt
Accomodation
For tourists visiting Khewra Salt Mines, the nearest place to stay is Kallar Kahar TDCP resort. Please contact us for more information on other sites to visit in the area and tours available.
How to get there
The Lahore - Islamabad Motorway (M-2) cuts through the centre of the Salt Range, with exit points at Kallar Kahar and Lillah. You can reach Khwera salt mines from those exits.
A tourist train runs inside the mine tunnels. There are some incredible sculptures and structures inside the mine made up of salt. There are plenty of popular souvenir shops in the region where tourists can obtain some incredibly crafted lamps, sculptures and ornaments made up of salt
Accomodation
For tourists visiting Khewra Salt Mines, the nearest place to stay is Kallar Kahar TDCP resort. Please contact us for more information on other sites to visit in the area and tours available.
How to get there
The Lahore - Islamabad Motorway (M-2) cuts through the centre of the Salt Range, with exit points at Kallar Kahar and Lillah. You can reach Khwera salt mines from those exits.
Nandana Fort:
Nandana Fort is situated on a hilltop near Baghanwala some 22 Kilometers east of Pind Dadan Khan. It first finds a mention in the time of Mehmood Ghaznavi who in 1008 A.D. conquered it. Nandana, located 14 miles west of Choa Saidan Shah in Salt Range, is a place of historical interest where extensive ruins of a fort and a town - temple is present. Nandana once had such a strategic location at the entrance to the Salt Range that a strong fortress was built to guard it. The remains of that fort are now completely smothered by the rank vegetation of the hill. Nandana Fort is located on the original route taken by all the famous invaders of the subcontinent. Alexander the Great came this way from Taxila before descending to Jhelum for his battle with Porus.
Al-Beruni (973-1053 AD), the celebrated traveler, historian, philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and scientist, came to the subcontinent in the period of Mehmood of Ghazni during 11th century. It was at Nandana, that he measured the circumference of the earth.
Getting There
Nandana can be reached from Lahore - Islamabad Motorway (M-2) through Kallar Kahar exit.
Al-Beruni (973-1053 AD), the celebrated traveler, historian, philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and scientist, came to the subcontinent in the period of Mehmood of Ghazni during 11th century. It was at Nandana, that he measured the circumference of the earth.
Getting There
Nandana can be reached from Lahore - Islamabad Motorway (M-2) through Kallar Kahar exit.
Choa Saidan Shah:
Located 35 kilometers south of Chakwal on the Chakwal-Khewra Road, Choa Saidan Shah is a small town placed in an idyllic bowl shaped valley, surrounded by lush green hills.
This attractive town, six kilometers from Ketas, is named after the saint Saidan Shah Shirazi and is nestled at the foot of a valley. Apparently the area was a desert until the holy man arrived, when he struck the ground with his staff and sweet water sprang up (‘Choa’ means ‘spring’). The saint’s shrine is set back from the main bazaar in a courtyard, and the annual urs is held in April The town is surrounded by trees and orchards, and is famous for its roses and perfumes.
Ketas Temples:
Ketas Raj Temple is an important Hindu temple situated in the Chakwal district of Punjab. Located 40 kilometers from Chakwal District, Ketas Raj is easily accessible by road from Motorway M-2 (Islamabad Lahore) at Kallar Kahar interchange. Following the road to Choa Saiden Shah for 24 kin, one can reach the Ketas Raj Temples which are a valuable piece of architecture and history.Dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, the temple has existed since the days of Mahabharata. As the legend says, at the death of Shiva’s wife Satti, he wept so much that his tears created two holy ponds - one at Ajmer in India and the other at Ketas, which literally means “raining eyes”, in Sanskrit.
The deserted temples, fort, bathhouses and rest houses surrounded a pool sacred to Shiva, and it is here that thousands of Hindus used to flock every April to bathe. Most of the temples were built during the reign of Hindu kings around 900 years ago or more, although the earliest of the Katas Raj temples dates back to the later half of the 6th century AD. Renovation by the Government of Pakistan is in process to restore them to attract visitors.
The deserted temples, fort, bathhouses and rest houses surrounded a pool sacred to Shiva, and it is here that thousands of Hindus used to flock every April to bathe. Most of the temples were built during the reign of Hindu kings around 900 years ago or more, although the earliest of the Katas Raj temples dates back to the later half of the 6th century AD. Renovation by the Government of Pakistan is in process to restore them to attract visitors.
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