Aranmula - a lost tradition?

Mirror, mirror on the wall......and you shatter and fall!

Have you heard of a metal mirror?

 

Aranmula is a United Nations global heritage town in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala. Its at a distance of about 115 kms from Thiruvananthapuram. While the town has to its claim to fame - the famous Aranmula Parthasarathy temple, Valla Sadhya, Uttaratadhi Jala Mela - my interest in the town was due its famous Aranmula Kannadi or Aranmula Mirror.

 

Unlike traditional mirrors, the Aranmula Kannadi is made of Tin - Bronze alloy.

 

The alloy is made into a ball (depending on the size of the mirror to be made) and is encased in a clay mould - indicated below.

The metal ball is placed at the blob on the top. The clay is fashioned below into a hollow mould (as per the diameter of the mirror).

Vikash explaining the making of the mirror

The clay is baked to high temparatures and because of the heat, the metal liquefies and falls into the hollow mould taking the shape of a round metal plate. The clay is then cooled and broken (using just enough pressure so as to not damage the metal) to bring out a metal round shape which is uniform all across (shown below) 

 

The metal is then polished and shined to make a reflective surface which acts like a mirror with one side being opaque. Unlike regular mirrors, these are supposed to eliminate secondary reflections and aberrations typical of back surface mirrors.

 

The finished mirror is then set in traditionally designed frames and depending on the size of the mirror is either hand held / mounted on a pedestal or on a stand.

 

Conch shaped frames to hold the finished mirror

 

 The mother - son duo of Arundathy and Vikash - traditional family involved in the making of the Aranmula Kannadi.

 

 



Place of work and tools of the trade -

 

The area where clay is moulded (its not as simple as it seems)

The clay baking furnace

 



This family is one of the few, traditional makers of the Aranmula Kannadi left, trying to continue an ancient art.

 

 

 

Aranmula Kannadi - unlike regular mirrors are slightly on the expensive side.

 

A finished product of the size indicated above costs between INR2500 to INR3000. It takes about 3-4 days to make 1 mirror of the size indicated above.

 

Personally I think they are reasonably priced for the effort and quality that goes into the making of the mirror.

 

Keralites traditionally use this mirror during festivals and on auspicious occasions. Its part of a Keralite bride's wedding trousseau. 

 

Beware - There are imitations that are available off the shelf at the same price - do not get fooled!

Note - The Aranmula Kannadi is GI patent tagged and so cannot be produced anywhere else other than its place of origin - Aranmula.