Kerala has a wealth of scientific and technological practices being followed since ancient times. Brass artifacts and idols from a village called Mannar near Kottayam, bronze plate to take food made by artisans in Kadavallur village near Trichur, Pavithra mothiram (Payyannur mothiram, holy ring) made with gold made by artists from Payyannur in the same form as pavithram of Darbha grass usually used by Acharyas during holy rituals, brass lamps and idols from Payyannur near Kasargod, etc., are some of the examples. Advancements in the studies of Mathematics and Astronomy by Kerala school of Mathematics during the 14th-19th centuries are now appreciated by modern science. Aranmula mirror or Aranmula Kannadi is one of the best examples of the crafting of bimetallic mirror, which is another traditional craft of Kerala exhibiting excellent use of local science and technology.
Aranmula Kannadi is a type of metal mirror that is made in the village of Aranmula, in the district of Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India. It is believed to be the oldest metal mirror in the world and is made using a traditional method that has been passed down through generations known only to a few artisans belonging to a family in the town of Aranmula, which has been declared as a heritage village by the government of Kerala. In Aranmula, there is a family of skilled metal-casting artisans crafting these unique metal mirrors using techniques passed down over more than 500 years.
The crafting process of these mirrors is an ancient craft that is closely guarded and passed down from generation to generation. The craft, which was not recognised by scientists and technologists, has started to get attention in recent years. Due to the showcasing of mirrors at craft fairs and due to online demand, it is slowly becoming more recognised globally as a unique and beautiful item for households.
A LEGENDARY STORY
A few centuries back, the high priest of Aranmula Parthasaradhy temple in Kerala found that the crown made for the deity was cracked. The local king then summoned the head of the bronze smith clan and ordered him to make a new crown within three days. The crown made out of the mixing of copper and tin turned out to be a marvel of art and craft. It was silver in colour, brittle like glass, shone with rare brilliance, and when cleaned acquired the quality of reflection. The makudam or crown as kannadi bhimbom (mirror idol) was preserved in the Aranmula temple till 1946. The casters soon worked out the ratios of different metals used.
The chieftain of Aranmula liberally patronized that craftsperson and even laid down an order that the mirror should form one of the eight auspicious articles used in all Hindu religious rites including marriages. Under the patronage of a few aristocratic ladies, the vaalkannadi (handheld mirror) flourished. There has been the mentioning of the metal mirror in many Puranas including the Rig Veda. Even in the carvings of Khajuraho, there has been a depiction of handheld mirrors.
There are many temples in which the vaalkannadi is used to symbolise a goddess without form. In the temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the mirror is placed next to the musical instrument of Veena, a vital signifier of this goddess of learning. The mirror, thus, has a lot of ritualistic importance.
SPECIALTY OF ARANMULA KANNADI
The specialty of the Aranmula Kannadi is not just its craft. Unlike the common glass mirrors in use, Aranmula Kannadi is unique because it is a mirror made of metal with a reflecting front. This makes it different from regular plane glass mirrors, where reflection takes place from the back surface of the glass. Back reflection makes the mirror image distorted, since light rays have to travel through the glass to the back and return through the mirror on reflection. This process makes the light rays undergo reflection as well as refraction.
All Images Courtesy: Prof VPN Nampoori
With the Aranmula mirror, because of its unique combination of metals and hand polishing, the reflection takes place on the front surface unlike conventional glass mirrors. This eliminates any secondary reflection and distortion giving a pure and almost perfect reflection with no distortion in Aranmula mirror.
TECHNIQUE OF MAKING ARANMULA KANNADI
Casting of a high-tin bronze mirror of 33% tin with copper has good reflection compared to ordinary mercury-coated glass mirrors. The brittle silvery-white delta phase of bronze is optimized while avoiding lead which is toxic. Lead dulls the quality of the mirror. Scientific and anthropological studies of Aranmula mirror have revealed that mirrors were uniquely made of as a high tin ‘delta’ bronze, a binary copper-tin alloy with 32-34% tin matching with pure delta phase of bronze — an intermetallic compound Cu31Sn38 of fixed composition of 32.6% of tin. The Delta phase is a hard compound. The alloy will provide properties of a mirror as alloy can be polished across the whole visible spectrum. Moreover, the delta phase is a stable compound which does not get tarnished or corroded easily, as stated by S Srinivasan and I Glover in their 2007 work, ‘Skilled mirror craft of intermetallic delta high-tin bronze (Cu31Sn8, 32.6% tin) from Aranmula, Kerala’, published in Current Science, Vol 93). Characterization of Aranmula Kannadi using modern techniques like photoacoustic effect and thermal lens effect was carried out by M S Swapna, V P N Nampoori and S Sankararaman, published in their study, ‘Photoacoustics: A nondestructive evaluation technique for thermal and optical characterisation of metal mirrors’ in Journal of Optics, Vol 47, 2018.
Creating the Aranmula Kannadi is a green and environment-friendly process. The material used is eco-friendly and obtained locally, and most of the material is reused, leaving almost minimal waste. The making of Aranmula Kannadi is a highly skilled and labour-intensive process. First, a metal alloy is created using a secret mix known only to the senior family member or his nominee. He will hand over the secret to the next person who will take over the leadership of the mirror making craft. The alloy is then formed into a concave mirror shape and polished to a high shine. Due to the need for the perfect and smooth reflection on each mirror, each Aranmula mirror is hand polished and refined with two-three days spent purely just polishing the mirror using a secret herbal mix to achieve the perfect smooth finish and clear reflection. One craftsman can only make around 10-15 mirrors each month.
In 2005, the Government of India granted the GI (Geographical Indicator) tag to Aranmula Kannadi, which means that the exclusive rights for making this mirror rests only with Aranmula. Many people believe keeping an Aranmula Kannadi in the house brings great luck to the owner. And for this reason, it continues to be given as a gift during weddings, Diwali, and housewarming ceremonies.
But people often ask, what is the best place to keep Aranmula Kannadi at home? The Aranmula Kannadi can be placed anywhere in the home, such as your living room, bedroom, or dining room. If possible, it is best to keep the Aranmula Kannadi in an east facing direction as the mirror reflects light as the sun rises and gives off positive energy to start each day. Even today, craftsmen use traditional, indigenous methods and materials to produce the reflecting wonder called Aranmula Kannadi. It takes great practice and a tremendous amount of focus and patience to produce a perfect mirror.
A Kowa or crucible made of wrought iron having an approximate capacity of holding 9 kg of molten metal is cleaned. The pieces of pure copper, tin and zinc are added in specific proportions known only to one family in Aranmula. The mouth of the kowa is sealed with clay. An opening lid made of clay is also provided. Two vertically opposite holes are provided to pour out the molten metal. One of these holes acts as an air vent. The kowa is then placed in an open pit furnace charged with burning charcoal. It is heated to about 400° Celsius (approximate melting point of brass). The molten metal is poured onto a flat surface (usually the ground itself). Once cooled, the alloy is then broken into pieces using a chuttika (hammer). The broken pieces are then inspected for the quality of the alloy. If found satisfactory, then it is re-melted.
The casting is checked for any deformities. Usually, the master craftsman prepares four-five mirrors and polishes them at a stretch. When one gets heated, he does the polishing for the next one while the other cools. To achieve high-quality reflective surfaces, the polishing can go on for one-to-two days. Once the required polished surface is achieved, it is then further polished using a piece of cotton cloth. Then final polishing is done using a velvet cloth. The velvet tends to absorb the oil that was applied earlier on to the mirror. Hence, further polishing is continued on another dry piece of velvet.
The velvet cloth is placed on the ground and the mirror along with wooden plank is moved in the desired direction. Once the satisfactory finish is achieved, the disk is just heated to separate it from the wooden plank and the mirror is mounted on a brass frame. The finished mirror would be brighter and beautiful. The making process of Aranmula Kannadi involves a lot of effort, expertise, and patience. Aranmula Kannadi is not a replacement for a dressing table mirror, or it can’t be made in such a huge size. Instead, this is a mirror with a lot of specialty, and it is used as a precious collectible. Yet, you can use it to view your face but the biggest Aranmula Kannadi that was made was around 12 inches in diameter, that itself would be at least 10 kilograms in weight with a huge frame size and can be very expensive. Normally, the Aranmula Kanandi comes in a size range of 2 inches to 6 inches — those are the most popular models, which people buy as gifts or to keep in their homes or business organizations.
As traditional as the mirror-making technology is the artisan’s belief that the composition of the metal-mirror is divine and that some undisclosed metal alloy with copper and tin is responsible for the distortion-free images. “The imitators are using the combination of tin and copper, but they don’t know the accurate combination of the alloy, a secret maintained by the family. They polish the mirror with grinding and buffering machines,” share the artisans. The final polishing of Aranula Kannadi is done using an undisclosed herbal paste. At present, only 19 registered craftsmen called acharis have the legal right to make Aranmula Kannadi.
In conclusion, we can be sure that this mirror is marvelous indeed. Noted for outstanding beauty and shrouded in secrecy, the Aranmula Kannadi is considered a medieval marvel in the annals of metallurgy. It was in use much before the appearance of modern-day glass mirrors. The technical know-how behind the making of this unique metal mirror is confined to only some households of master craftsmen in Aranmula.
*The author is Visiting Scientist, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi. He can be reached at nampoori@gmail.com.
