Multani Mitti is amongst the world’s oldest material being used for cleaning of hair and skin.
The History of Multani Mitti: For thousands of years, India had been on the SILK ROUTE of
international business between China, India, Arabia, Iran, Greece, Rome, etc., trading in Silk from
China, Cotton, and many other products from India. A major artery of this route passed through
Jaisalmer and Barmer and a major nearby city on the route were MULTAN (now in Pakistan).
Multan’s history is about 5,000 years old (it was a part of Indus Valley Civilisation) and it has been
mentioned by old travelers like Ibn Battuta, Hsuen Tsang, Al Baruni, etc. It was also conquered by
Alexander the Great.
The traders who passed through Multan bought a special mineral which was not found anywhere
in the world. It was a lumpy soil, neither sand nor stone. It got melted in water, could be
powdered, and it removed dirt and oil from the skin and hair. It became very much in demand by
the ladies of Europe and Arabia.
Since this mineral was available only in the markets of Multan, it was named MULTANI MITTI.
