The Dying Art of Kallai

In today’s world there is no survival without technology. Technology has made life easier than before. However, the advancement of technology has had some severe consequences on the ways we lead our lives today. India is well-known for its culture and customs, and the world recognises us for the deeply ingrained cultural practices that exists within us. From the number of things technological incursion is affecting, art forms are facing toughest consequences of all times. One such forms of art is the Art of Kalai.

This art has existed from the time when food was cooked and consumed in copper and brass utensils. Earlier, copper and brass vessels were of maximum use in the kitchen but with the rapid intrusion of stainless steel and aluminium vessels, these vessels have become extinct from the contemporary kitchen.

Usage of copper and brass vessels was considered as first step towards healthy lifestyle however with time after regular usage of this type of kitchenware it requires maintenance which is when process of tin-plating is done consecutively every six to eight months. This practice of tin plating on the vessels is carried on by the kalaiwalas. Kalaiwalas dig a pit in the ground and prepare a temporary blast furnace, airing it with bellows after which the utensil faces blasting heat on and off sprinkled with a little nausadar (sal ammoniac or ammonium chloride) which is rubbed onto the utensil surface with a cotton cloth producing dense white smoke eventually. Finally, the utensil tin plating is finished after washing the vessel in water. The quick contact of the hot utensil with the water produces a harsh and sharp sound that fades when the utensil returns to its normal temperature.

However, as the world modernised, copper and brass utensils have been mostly supplanted by plastic, aluminium, and stainless steel, and with them the craft of kalai is slowly fading.If this artistry and the hard effort of such artisans are overlooked, such art forms may soon become extinct.