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‘Kansa’ is a form of Bronze with 80 parts Copper and 20 parts Tin. About 5000 years ago, during the Bronze Age, metal Kansa was created. ‘Kansa’ is revered in Ayurveda and Ancient Scriptures as ‘Healing Metal’. For centuries, people in the east have been eating and drinking in ‘Kansa’ utensils. It is alkaline in nature and alkalizes the food/water we eat/drink in it. The Ancient Ayurveda says “कांस्यम् बुद्धिवर्धकम् “. Meaning – eating in Bronze(Kansa) utensils enhances Intellect. We are living in the era of science and technology which has also deeply affected our food habits. Plastic has almost become a part of our life, which can cause life-threatening diseases like cancer, heart strokes, hypertension and diabetes etc. As the awareness to discard plastic is rising, one of the most healthy options you can shift to is Kansa. Kansa dining ware has been used since the period of Samhita Kala and it brings phenomenal changes in human life. What is Kansa? Pure Kansa is an Indian name for bell metal or bronze. An ultra-superior metal, Kansa is an alloy of Copper 78 percent and Tin 22 percent both heated together up to 700 centigrade to form pure bronze. A malleable metal in itself, the prepared alloy is further moulded into handcrafted products and can acquire different kinds of finishes – matt or glossy, depending on the aesthetic preferences. Kansa is usually used to eat food and drink water on a daily basis which helps enhancing the gut health. Why Kansa? Copper or brass reacts with sour food, salt and lemon which can be harmful for the body. Therefore, they are not recommended to eat or cook in. Whereas, Kansa or Bronze does not react with sour acidic food hence, it is the best metal to eat and cook in. Benefits of Kansa According to the descriptions given in Ayurveda Prakasha, Kansa dining ware is known for its therapeutic benefits. 1. The root of every healthy person is a good digestive system and kansa alloy alkalizes and purifies the food, and promotes digestive health. 2. Due to its extraordinary health properties, even Ayurvedic physicians recommend Kansa for holistic healing, stress relieving and purifying properties. Kansa has an ability to destroy microorganisms making the metal hygienic for use. 3. The Sanskrit phrase – Kansyam Buddhivardhakam (which means kansa sharpens our intellect and pays tribute to its therapeutic powers) advocates the virtues of Pure Kansa. Using it regularly helps in improving immunity and preventing illness. How Does it work? 1. It promotes holistic healing by promoting gut health and immunity along with relieving stress and boosting energy levels. 2. Water stored in Kansa for at least 8 hours has the ability to positively charge water for balancing all three doshas present in the body. 3. The water stored in Kansa doesn’t become stale. Also, the metal helps in preventing water borne diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, jaundice etc. 4. Copper is known to have brain stimulant and anti-convulsive properties helping in stimulating our brain. 5. Drinking and eating from copper vessels regulates the requirement of important copper trace metals for thyroid glands to function optimally. 6. It is recommended for daily use for deriving maximum health benefits. Copper also reduces inflammation and improves hemoglobin. 7. It has vital medicinal and healing properties, which the food or water kept in it acquires. 8. Anti-Inflammatory properties found in copper releases joint, muscular pain and beats arthritis. 9. Copper is the key component in the production of melanin helping in restoring healthy skin and slows down aging. 10. Copper helps in breaking down and eliminating fat aiding in weight loss. 11. It also helps in cardiovascular health and beat anaemia by regulating blood pressure. History of Kansa Bell metal is a hard bronze alloy used for making bells and related instruments, such as cymbals. It is a form of bronze with a higher tin content, usually in approximately a 4:1 ratio of copper to tin (typically, 78% copper, 22% tin by mass). The higher tin content increases the rigidity of the metal, and increases the resonance. It also has industrial uses, being specified for valve bodies, piston rings, bearings, and bushings. Tin and copper are relatively soft metals that will deform on striking (though tin to a lesser extent than copper), but alloying creates a metal which is harder and less ductile and also one with more elasticity than either of the two metals. This metal combination produces a tough, long-wearing material that is resistant to oxidation and subject only to an initial surface weathering. Verdigris forms a protective patina on the surface of bells which coats it against further oxidation. Specifically, it is the combination of low internal damping and low internal sound velocity that makes bell metal specially suitable for resonant percussion instruments. Most commonly, as per its colloquial name, bell metal has been and is used for the casting of high-quality bells. The metal used is a high-tin alloy of copper and tin with approximately a 4:1 ratio of copper to tin (78% copper, 22% tin). This is a much higher tin component than that used in statuary bronze. A range of percentages of tin content can vary from 20 to 26%, depending on the founder who has arrived empirically at their own alloy ratio. It has been found that increasing the tin content increases the decay time of the bell strike, thus making the bell more sonorous. Taking into consideration overall properties, such as tensile strength, hardness, wear resistance, cast quality, sound, and cost, the optimum alloy can probably be obtained by having a type bronze composition as: ~20wt.%Sn, < 2wt.%Ni, < 1.5wt.%Pb, ~0.01wt.%P, < 1wt.%Sb, with balance of Cu. Bell metal in this range of ratios has been used for more than 3,000 years and is known for its resonance and “attractive sound.” The crystal lattice formation of this alloy is able to absorb high-impact energies, such as from a bell clapper, without distortion, which is the case when the bell is struck. This results in a resonant sound and causes the bell to vibrate strongly in a complex nodal system. In India, in the state of Assam, it is called kanh while in West Bengal and Odisha, kansa, it is called Kanchu in Kannada and is used for cooking and eating utensils. Sarthebari in Barpeta district of Assam holds a unique place in the production of kanh utensils. In Assam, utensils of kanh have many religious uses and the most unusual utensils, bata and banbati, are used to give offerings and puja or to show respect to honored guests and dignitaries. Belaguntha in Ganjam district, Kantilo in Nayagarh, and Balakati near Bhubaneswar are well known for this craft in Odisha. In the state of Kerala, urulis (odu vessels) bring back memories of chakka varatti (jackfruit halva). In summer when jackfruits are available aplenty, huge quantities of chakka varatti would be made in the backyard over a logfire and consumed in a trice, the richness of fruits, jaggery and ghee. Urulis are made from bell metal. Vengalai panai (also made from a kind of bell metal) is synonymous with a Tamil bride’s first pongal when freshly harvested rice is offered to the sun god with turmeric and sugarcane. Making process of kansa The process of making kansa utensils is a laborious one. The ancient technique requires heating and beating metal alloys repeatdly to create exquisite work of art. The procedure is as follows The required materials are melted in a crucible. The molted metal is then placed in an earthenware container. After it is set, the material is repeatedly hammered and beaten to give the desired shape Process description: 1. The scrap metal is melted at high temperatures. 2. The molten metal is then put in a mould. 3. The metal is then heaved out of the mould. 4. It is light hammered at the edges to bend sharp corners. 5. The artisan then aligns the two parts of the pot together. 6. The artisan then checks for the accuracy of the aligned parts of the pot. 7. A local adhesive is applied at the joining of the parts and is heated at high temperatures. 8. The pot is lightly hammered to make it more durable and long lasting. 9. It is then polished with a local grease to improve the surface texture. 10. Small dents are then made on the pot to improve the aesthetics and the pot is now ready to be marketed.
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