Being one of the oldest states in India, Gujarat is a spectacle of Indian heritage at its best. Gujarat is blessed with a wealthy heritage and customary past. The state brags of a vintage glorious legacy that has managed to persist till today. The art and crafts commerce of Gujarat offers a number of metalwork, jewelry, furniture, embroidery, clay items, handmade carpets and stone crafts etc. Jamnagar is one of the biggest brass industries of India. Gujarat being one of the first-born states of India is a vessel of Indian culture and heritage at its zenith.

Gujarat is one of the foremost producers of Brass and Iron items in the homeland. Mostly made in the generous state of Saurashtra and Kutch, the most widespread pieces made from brass and metal are metal bells, cutlery blades and beetle nut crackers. These splendid words of art are created by the progenies of the former court jewelers and sword smiths. The location is also widely talked about for its unique range of brass items which include brass and metal utensils, knives, scissors and cutlery.

Cultural and Other Properties

Brass and iron surpass and complement the rich splendor of profusely settled locations in Gujarat. Everything from temples to houses and cultural eateries and museums and markets express the unending epic of Kanasara and metal smiths who were proficient in metallurgy. The class of this cultural heritage can also be perceived through the rich art work which can be found in various items in a Gujarati household kitchen. The brightness and luster of metal-ware in any pious ceremony or temple spell-binds its beholders in an aura of serenity and vivacity.

It is the skill of the accomplished craftsmen of this ethnicity that is demonstrated in their ability to beat a brass or iron sheet into a three dimensional object, just with the mere use of a hammer. Though this sounds very simple, but this intricate process of the metal-smiths in Gujarat creates the most wonderful range of useful articles for diverse purposes.

Gujarat is renowned for its unique kind of utensils conceived in varied forms and dimensions; each designed to serve a specific purpose. Pitchers, carton, plates, basins, vessels for spices and containers for jewelry, cutlery and nutcrackers are all made from brass and metal which have withstood the test of time due to their anti-bacterial properties. As brass is a powerful metal, it is deemed one of the best for cooking and kitchen purposes.

Anecdotes and Outtakes

Brass and other metal items hold a major pious significance in the state of Gujarat. There is a superstitious belief that during the well renowned festival of Diwali if all the steel wares and metal wares are not cleaned and shone in the household, Goddess Lakshmi who is deemed as the goddess of wealth and fortune does not enter the household. The family is soon followed by a state of misfortune and bad luck. This fear is instilled in every Gujarati family and they make sure all their utensils shine and reflect the colors of this beautiful festival of light and opulence.

Traditional Trivia

The history of material culture in Gujarat speaks of the significant roles played by the utensils used for eating and the others that are used for preserving and storing food. These utensils and other metal wares were not only designed to keep their usefulness in mind, but they were also designed keeping their aesthetic nature in mind. They were used as decorations and embellishments to amplify the look of the household which adorned them.

Utensils have for ever played a notable function in the communal and ethnic spirit of Gujarat. It doesn’t make a difference whether it is a rural dwelling or a kitchen space in a posh locality, fancy brass and metal items brand the household with a sense of class and superiority in the society. These items not only pose high material security but also act as a demonstration of the affluence which belongs to the family.

Brass and metal wares also form important part of social ceremonies like progeny birth, festivals like Diwali marriages etc. Among pastoral and other famous societies of Gujarat, utensils form important parts of the bridal goods which are given to the daughter during the marriage ceremony. It has become an un-negotiable custom to gift or present utensils during any festival or ceremony in Gujarat. Now it has become a custom such that religious ceremonies are incomplete without the bright decoration of lights and thalis decked in brass for worship rituals.

So depending on the occasion or ceremony, the metal smiths keep designing various utensils in different patterns and styles. The exclusive deftness in the style and methods of Kanasara can be clearly seen in the traditional “dablo” which are important part of the bridal hope chests during marriages in Gujarat. These stylish containers were later buried underground in secure locations so as to prevent robbery and theft. These containers were not only well renowned for their distinct form and ornamentation, but they were also famous for their water-proof qualities. Going back in time, the origin of the Kansaras can be sketched to the Marwar and can be found similar to the likeness in styles of design and methods of brass and ironware between the two states. Long necked vessels and potbellied perfume sprinklers and shades also depict the major leverage of the Mughal Empire during that time.