(5.4ml)
'Kansara' is the name of a community in Western India, they inhabit regions of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Kansara are experts in metallurgy and in making hand-made utensils from Brass and Copper. Reference to Kansara craftsmanship is seen in the Ramayana. It is believed locally that the art of making utensils by Kansara in Brass and Copper as well as ornaments existed since Treta-Yuga. It is believed in the community that on the verge of destruction of Champaner kingdom Maa Mahakali commanded the Kansaras to move to more safer places and that is how the Kansara folk scattered across different locations of Gujarat.
These metals were lined by Tin (Eeyam) to prevent them from reacting with acidic foods. These metals are known to neutralize the acidic properties of food and help build alkalinity.
'Kalai' or tinning is the process of lining metal kitchenware with tin, a practice that is centuries old. Back in the day, it was very common for women to bring all their pots, pans, serve ware and storage containers to the 'kalaiwaala' who would regularly roam the streets. These kaliwaalas were skilled artisans who would easily set up a makeshift bhatti (oven) to melt the tin and then the hot molten tin was poured into the vessels and lined carefully to coat it fully on the inside. The brass vessels would be as good as new once tinning was done by the kalaiwaala, sparkling golden, reinforced and strong again! Recycling and making old things new was deeply rooted in our culture. Handcrafted beautiful cookware and kitchen serveware, storage containers in the ancient day were passed on proudly by grandmothers to her grandchildren as heirlooms.