Written by Mohamed ThaverMumbai | December 28, 2025 12:00 AM IST 5 min readEven though the salt monopoly persisted until independence - giving rise to Gandhi’s famous Dandi March in 1930 - the Inland Customs Line was abandoned when the British seized control of Sambhar Lake from the princely states of Jaipur and Jodhpur in 1879.NEARLY TWO centuries back, the British put in place a massive 4,000-km ‘Inland Customs Line’ also known as ‘the Great Hedge of India’ extending from Punjab in the northwest to the then princely state of Orissa near the Bay of Bengal. The whole idea was to ensure that nobody could take away salt from within British-occupied territories to the princely states without paying a hefty tax.What is distinct about this 12-feet, 4,000-km hedge, often compared with the Great Wall of China for its sheer scale and geography covered, is that for the most part – nearly 2,500 kms – it comprises just overgrown trees, bushes and plants.Manned by a 14,000-strong staff stationed at chowkies across the length, the hedge is the subject of an ongoing exhibition ‘Salt Lines’ by Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser, who form the multimedia performance duo Hylozoic/Desires, at the Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai.It was while researching salt for some other project, that the artists first came across the Great Hedge of India as a footnote in Mark Kurlansky’s book on the history of salt.“It really interested us and we started with the premise that it did not exist considering the scale at which it was believed to have existed. There has been only one book written on it by Roy Moxham. We started from his research and then started exploring it ourselves since 2022, which included driving along the rough coordinates of the hedge through various states,” Himali told The Indian Express.David said, “It was really an extraordinary story of such an enormous scale I would say this was the biggest colonial infrastructure project before the building of the railways, yet it had completely disappeared from everybody’s mind and also in a way from the landscape.” The exhibition at the Bhau Daji Lad museum uses textile, video, sound and photography, to track the remains of the hedge.The textile exhibition uses dyes from the plants that dominated the hedge. This is followed by a 23-minute video of a fictionalised courtesan Mayalee played by Himali who used salt to conduct divinations and send prophecies across the hedge. This is followed by a photo exhibition tracing the expanse of the hedgeStory continues below this adAs part of the research for the project, the couple tried to track the original Hedge using old maps and using coordinates on google maps to see if any remnants could be found.It was while driving around in Haryana that they believe they did find one of the “chowkies” on the Permit Line Road in Gurgaon.“While the chowky is not registered by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), based on its location and architecture, we are sure it was a chowky on the hedge. Such chowkies for the salt inspectors were present every few kilometres along the 4,000 kms long stretch,” Himali said. The Hedge by itself had developed a distinct character with the salt inspectors patrolling the massive stretch shouting out updates about how many people trying to smuggle salt were caught and how much seizure was made.David said, “Apart from the financial aspect, it also impacted the lift of the locals as in some cases the line may have cut across a property whereby a person’s house may have been on one side and the farm on the other side forcing them to take a detour. It was an everyday inconvenience and became a major obstacle for trade other than salt.” Another interesting aspect of the Hedge is the role played by Allen Octavian Hume, the Commissioner of Inland Customs from 1867 to 1870 who, being an ornithologist, also wrote a book on the birds that nestled in the hedge.Story continues below this adIt was believed that the idea of using a ‘live hedge’ as against a wall was also encouraged by Hume who played a massive role in the expansion of the Hedge across the country who felt building an actual wall would take a lot of resources. Hume would eventually become one of the founders of the Indian National Congress.Although highly profitable, protecting one of the Empire’s main streams of revenue,it eventually became a nuisance to maintain, as it was often battered by winds, and was partially burnt down during the rebellion of 1857 and eaten by termites.Even though the salt monopoly persisted until independence – giving rise to Gandhi’s famous Dandi March in 1930 – the Inland Customs Line was abandoned when the British seized control of Sambhar Lake from the princely states of Jaipur and Jodhpur in 1879.Story continues below this ad“Now they would directly collect salt tax from its source so there was no scope for smuggling following which they abandoned the hedge, which over the years fell away due to negligence and being eaten by termites and animals,” Himali said. ‘Salt Lines’ is on view at the Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai till February 8.Mohamed Thaver is a highly specialized journalist with the Expertise and Authority required to report on complex law enforcement and legal issues. With a career dedicated to the crime beat for over a decade, his work provides readers with informed and trustworthy insights into Maharashtra's security and justice systems. Experience & Authority Core Focus: Has been exclusively covering the crime beat for over a decade, building deep, specialized knowledge in the field. Geographical Authority: Currently focuses heavily on law enforcement and policy in Maharashtra, providing authoritative coverage of the state's security apparatus. Key Beats: Law Enforcement: Reports on the operations of the Maharashtra Police and the Mumbai Crime Branch. Policy & Administration: Covers the Maharashtra Home Department, focusing on policy matters related to handling law and order and the evolution of the police force. Judiciary: Has significant past experience covering the courts, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the entire criminal justice process from investigation to verdict. Specialized Interest (Cyber & Forensics): Demonstrates Expertise in modern investigative techniques, with a keen focus on cyber crime and forensics, reporting on how these technologies assist complex crime investigations. Content Focus: His reports revolve around police probes, the evolution of the force, and state policy, ensuring his content is highly relevant and detailed. Credentials & Trustworthiness Mohamed Thaver’s long-standing specialization in the crime beat—combined with his focus on technological aspects like cyber crime and his direct coverage of major institutions like the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Maharashtra Home Department—underscores his Trustworthiness and status as an expert source for detailed and reliable journalism on law and order. He tweets @thaver_mohamed ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Mumbai