Sendha salt: The trade relations between India and Pakistan have been going on steadily ever since the partition. Although there has been a significant decrease in imports from Pakistan in recent years there are still some everyday items that come from Pakistan. The first item purchased from Pakistan is sendha salt. In fact India is completely dependent on Pakistan for sendha salt. It is also called rock salt. Rock salt is not produced in India so it is imported from Pakistan. However India has reduced its dependence on Pakistan for rock salt. Rock salt is essentially used in fasting and religious events in India. It is also known by the names rock salt sendha salt Lahori salt halite pink salt and Himalayan salt. Rock salt is formed when the salty water of the sea or lake turns into colourful sodium chloride crystals. In Pakistan it costs 2-3 rupees per kilogram while in India it sells for 50-60 rupees per kilogram. Sendha salt is also known as rock salt because it is found in the form of rocks. There are several stories behind the name Sendha. One belief is that it was named Sendha because it is found towards the Indus River. Some connect its name to the Sindhu region. The salt mine located in Khewra Jhelum district of Punjab province in Pakistan is the second largest salt mine in the world. About 450000 tons of Sendha salt is extracted here every year. Since the capital of the neighbouring Punjab province is Lahore and it is found in the Himalayan hills it is also referred to as Lahori salt or Himalayan salt. It is believed that the Khewra mine has enough salt to extract comfortably for 450 years. A rough estimate of the amount of rock salt coming from Pakistan to India can be gauged from the fact that in the year 2018-19 99.7 percent of Indias total rock salt imports came from Pakistan. India has reduced its dependence on Pakistan for rock salt. In the year 2019-20 India imported the most rock salt from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) instead of Pakistan. Besides Pakistan India also imports rock salt from Iran Malaysia Germany Afghanistan Turkey and Australia. The processing and packaging units for rock salt in India are located in Kochi Mumbai Hyderabad and Delhi. According to estimates about 80 percent of households in India require it. Rock salt is considered beneficial for health in Ayurveda. That is why it is made essential to consume during fasting festivals. Experts believe that rock salt should be used not only during fasting but also every day. It eliminates stomach problems. Its use is also extremely beneficial for the mouth and hair.