The Old Punkhawallah
In British Raj era India, the punkhawallah or pankha wallah was the servant who operated the fan, often using a pulley system.
When I was growing up, on the rare occasions when my Great Grandparents turned on their old electric fan in the height of a warm summer, I remember their reminisces about the punkhawallahs in India, helping to keep them cool. Since then, I have always associated electric fans with Indian punkhawallahs!
This lovely old fan and the interesting pieces of glass, pottery and dried plants from the garden are in the studio of an accomplished artist who amongst many other things, conducts classes on paper making. I attended such a class last weekend and learned how to make my own paper from recycled paper pulp, how to dye it and how to add elements of nature to them. It was a marvellous and mindful way to spend a day!
The Old Punkhawallah
In British Raj era India, the punkhawallah or pankha wallah was the servant who operated the fan, often using a pulley system.
When I was growing up, on the rare occasions when my Great Grandparents turned on their old electric fan in the height of a warm summer, I remember their reminisces about the punkhawallahs in India, helping to keep them cool. Since then, I have always associated electric fans with Indian punkhawallahs!
This lovely old fan and the interesting pieces of glass, pottery and dried plants from the garden are in the studio of an accomplished artist who amongst many other things, conducts classes on paper making. I attended such a class last weekend and learned how to make my own paper from recycled paper pulp, how to dye it and how to add elements of nature to them. It was a marvellous and mindful way to spend a day!