Click to play videoAranmula (Kerala): The Aranmula mirror is a relic of an art form which came to Aranmula village 500 years ago during the construction of the Parthasarathy temple.
Ever since, the artisans have passed on the technique from one generation to the next.
"The mirror is made from an alloy of copper, white lead, silver and bronze mixed in a particular ratio. The best part about this mirror is that unlike a mercury mirror, the image is from the surface. Therefore, the image that you get from this is a non-refracted one, making it a unique item," says P Gopakumar, a metal-mirror artisan.
The skill-set is so prized that visitors from far and wide come looking for it. "One of the aspects of my visit is to see this mirror. Definitely, I'll be buying one before I leave. It's one of those hopefully not-dying cultural items that I'll be able to have," says Toby Beard, an American tourist.
Like Beard, other artisans hope that their next generation carries on this tradition. The artisans also worry about their technique being copied.
The Government has secured their knowledge with the Geographical Indication tag — a quality stamp for mirrors from that region.
While the stuggle to keep this art form from dying continues, there is definitely no denying the folk-lore which says — thanni roopam kaanaan Aranmula kannadiyil nokkanam, which simply means to see your real image look at it through the Aranmula mirror at least one in your life-time.
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