History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c13.s2.t4.27

v1.c13.s2.t4.27

The ancient iron making practice consisted of the following operations and each one of them was performed under the strict supervision of the oldman or master craftsman of the tribe. The operation of the furnace was considered to be a sacred ritual and they prayed to the tribal God ‘Asur’ for the success of the smelting. Many of the ‘Mantras’ and verses have been preserved as folk songs and these have been vividly described by Joshi (1970). The secret of iron smelting process was very religiously guarded and passed on only to the younger generation of the family or tribe. Women had active role to play in the process and certain specific jobs were to be done only by them. In *Rasa Ratna Samuccaya* a full chapter has been devoted to describe the characteristic features of the female helper ‘Kalini’ and her duties during such religious rituals.