Winds of Change Class 9: Summary and Questions on Pankhas
Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked
Winds of Change, the prose piece of Kaveri Unit 3, is an informative essay on India's hand fans, or pankhas. It traces the word to 'pankh' (feather), shows fans in Ajanta paintings, describes regional fans from Rajasthan to Bengal, and warns that the craft may fade unless we celebrate it and support its artisans.
What Winds of Change is about
Winds of Change is a non-fiction essay in Unit 3 of Kaveri (the textbook names no author for it). Its subject is the pankha, the traditional Indian hand fan. The essay explains where the word comes from, how pankhas were used in temples and royal courts, how each region developed fans of its own materials and designs, and how, with modern technology, pankhas have become decorative craft items that risk losing their place. It ends with ways to keep the craft alive: celebrating pankhas, workshops and exhibitions that give artisans a sustainable livelihood. The title plays on the fan's wind and on the changes the craft has gone through.
In the R1 paper, a prose extract (Q10, 5 marks) may come from this essay, with questions on fact and opinion, inference and assertion-reason. It also suits 2-mark answers (40-50 words) and 5-mark answers (120-150 words) on tradition versus modernity. The unit's present perfect tense, fixed expressions, collocations and its factual description writing task connect directly to Section B.
Weightage: Class 9 English is a school examination of 80 marks, but CBSE prescribes the paper design. Section C (Literature, 30 marks) in R1: one prose/drama extract and one poetry extract (5 marks each), five of six short answers (40-50 words, 2 marks each) and two long answers (about 120-150 words, 5 marks each). R2 has three extracts, five of seven short answers and one long answer.Source: CBSE English Language syllabus, Class IX 2026-27, Question Paper Design R1 and R2
Winds of Change: summary
In our own words, in the order of the text. Read the NCERT text itself too: the board quotes from it.
The word and its history. 'Punkha' or 'pankha' comes from 'pankh', meaning a bird's feather. 'Pankha' is used for all fans, while 'pankhi' meant a small plumed fan of ancient India. Pankhis appear in Buddhist wall paintings at Ajanta dating back to the 2nd century CE, and fans are also shown in embroidery, sculptures and carvings. In ancient times pankhas were used to fan deities in temples and kings in royal courts. They ranged from a tiny two-inch fan to huge ones that needed a person's full arm strength.
A cultural good with local variety. Pankhas travelled along trade routes and were thought exotic and stylish. Though used all over India, each village and town developed its own type, using bamboo, cane, palm leaf, silk, brass, leather or silver, often with beads and stones, depending on geography, culture and ritual.
Regional fans. Today pankhas are mostly decorative craft items, and the structure of each fan reflects the cultural core of its region. Rajasthan has the appliqué fan (fabric pieces sewn on with ornamental needlework), the zardozi fan with glittering gold threadwork, engraved brass temple fans with long handles and painted cardboard fans offered to gods. Gujarat has cotton fans with mirror work and bead fans with silver handles; it is India's centre of bead craft. Kutch is known for hand-stitched leather fans, and Gujarat's home-based women workers make embroidered fans. Bengal's artisans use the white, spongy centre of sola, and the palm leaf Tal Patar Pankha is found in Bengali homes. Uttar Pradesh has Phadh fans with gold, silver zari, silk and satin frills; Odisha has large palm leaf fans and Bihar colourful bamboo fans. Tribal communities make fans with geometric patterns, often in white on red.
Change and risk. With technology and new inventions, the culture of pankhas risks fading. A craft once made for personal use has become a commercial business that gives some livelihood to artisans; new versions have slightly increased demand.
Preserving the craft. The essay says the first step is to celebrate pankhas and appreciate the culture, stories and artistry behind them. This lets today's makers show their craft, regain popularity and earn a sustainable living. Workshops and exhibitions spread awareness of the craft's beauty and importance.
Central idea: A simple object like a hand fan carries history, regional identity and artistry. Change is inevitable, but appreciation and support can help traditional crafts survive.
Themes and message
Craft as cultural identity
The essay's key claim is that each fan reflects 'the cultural core of the region'. Rajasthan's zardozi, Gujarat's mirror work and beads, Bengal's sola and Bihar's bamboo show how local materials and traditions shape a craft. A fan becomes a sign of where it comes from.
From the text: 'The structure of each fan reflects the cultural core of the region that crafts it.'
Tradition and technology
Electric fans have made hand fans less necessary. The essay does not reject technology, but it notes that the 'beautiful culture of pankhas' may slowly disappear. The title 'Winds of Change' captures both the fan's breeze and the changes in its role.
From the text: 'the beautiful culture of pankhas runs the risk of slowly losing its presence among Indians'
Livelihood of artisans
Pankha-making has changed from personal use to a commercial business that gives artisans some income. The essay links preservation with economics: celebrating the craft creates a 'commercial platform' and a 'sustainable livelihood'.
From the text: 'now provides some form of livelihood to India's artisans' and 'a commercial platform to create a sustainable livelihood'
Unity in diversity
There is 'substantial commonality' in the use of pankhas across India, but each place makes them differently. The fan becomes a small example of India: one shared object, many local forms.
From the text: 'Although there was substantial commonality in their use across India, different villages and towns developed their own varieties'
Preserving heritage through appreciation
The essay ends with action: celebrate pankhas, hold workshops and exhibitions. Preservation begins with valuing the culture and stories a craft carries, not only buying it.
From the text: 'One of the first steps to preserve the essence of the craft is by celebrating pankhas'
Characters
The writer (informative voice)
An unnamed writer who informs and persuades; the essay has no story characters.
- Informative: gives origins, history and regional examples
- Appreciative: uses words like 'beautiful', 'delicate', 'dainty', 'elegant'
- Concerned: warns that the craft may fade
- Constructive: suggests celebration, workshops and exhibitions
'Artisans in Bengal make delicate pankhas'; 'runs the risk of slowly losing its presence'; 'Initiatives such as pankha-making workshops'.
The artisans
The craftspeople whose skill the essay honours, including Gujarat's home-based women workers and tribal communities.
- Industrious: 'worked tirelessly'
- Inventive: create many versions and designs
- Dependent on demand for their livelihood
'Gujarat's industrious home-based women workers have worked tirelessly in the handicraft of pankha-making'.
How it is written
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Etymology as an opening | 'pankh', which means feather of a bird | Starting with the word's origin hooks the reader and links the fan to nature. |
| Examples and listing | Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kutch, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar | A region-by-region tour supports the claim that each fan reflects local culture. |
| Descriptive adjectives | 'glittering ornate and encrusted gold threadwork'; 'milky-white spongy centre of the sola' | Visual detail makes the fans vivid and shows the writer's admiration. |
| Pun in the title | 'Winds of Change' | Refers to the breeze from a fan and to the changes in the craft over time. |
| Problem-solution structure | Risk of fading, then celebration, workshops and exhibitions | Moves the reader from information to concern to action. |
Key quotations
Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.
The word punkha or pankha originates from the word ‘pankh’, which means feather of a bird.
Writer: Opening line.
Gives the word's origin and links fans to feathers.
The structure of each fan reflects the cultural core of the region that crafts it.
Writer: Before the regional examples.
The essay's central claim: craft expresses regional identity.
the use of pankhas has been restricted to decorative purposes
Writer: On the modern role of fans.
Shows how their function has changed.
Gujarat is the centre for bead craft in India
Writer: Describing Gujarat's bead fans.
A fact linking a fan type to a regional skill.
the beautiful culture of pankhas runs the risk of slowly losing its presence among Indians
Writer: On technology and change.
States the problem; pankhas are called a 'culture', not just objects.
One of the first steps to preserve the essence of the craft is by celebrating pankhas
Writer: Conclusion.
The solution: appreciation leads to preservation.
Winds of Change in real life
Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
Regional identity in crafts
Suppose a relative visiting from abroad wants to buy one souvenir that 'shows where you are from'.
Using the essay's idea, explain how you would choose. Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Each craft reflects its region's culture.
- Choose a local material and design.
- Buy from the artisan if possible.
Answer: The essay says each craft reflects 'the cultural core of the region'. So I would choose a handmade local item, such as a Bengal sola fan or a Gujarat bead fan, made of local materials, and buy it directly from an artisan so the money supports the craft.
Memory hook: A souvenir should carry a place, not a price tag.
Technology and fading traditions
Imagine your family stops using clay water pots (matkas) after buying a refrigerator, and the local potter says his sales have fallen.
Link this to the essay. What could your family do? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Like pankhas, matkas are replaced by technology.
- Crafts risk fading; artisans lose livelihood.
- Use both: a matka in summer, gifts, decor.
Answer: Just as electric fans replaced pankhas, refrigerators are replacing matkas, and the potter's livelihood suffers. My family could still keep a matka in summer, buy his planters and gift his work. Using both modern and traditional goods helps keep the craft alive.
Memory hook: Switch on the fridge, but don't switch off the potter.
Present perfect for changes with present results
Suppose you are writing a report on how your town has changed in ten years.
Write two sentences in the present perfect, like the essay's 'pankhas have become traditional craft items'. Answer in about 40 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Use has/have + past participle.
- Choose changes whose effects continue now.
Answer: Many old shops in our market have closed, and malls have taken their place. The weekly crafts fair has become an important source of income for local artisans, so our town has kept some of its traditions alive.
Memory hook: Past action, present result: has/have done.
Topics in this chapter
How the school exam asks Winds of Change
The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.
| Question type | How it is asked | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Prose extract (Q10 in R1, 5 marks) | Factual extracts with parts such as true/false, why a word ('traditional', 'culture') is used, fact versus opinion, an inference, and choosing an assertion for a given reason. | Separate fact (can be checked) from opinion (a judgement, such as 'exotic and stylish'). For inference, give one reason supported by a phrase. |
| Short answer (Q12, 2 marks, 40-50 words) | How the title captures the essay; two examples showing fans reflect regional identity; how workshops help; how the decorative use reflects change. | State the point, then give one or two named examples (state + fan + material). |
| Long answer (Q13/Q14, 5 marks, 120-150 words) | Balancing tradition with innovation to save crafts; why celebrating crafts benefits artisans; a comparison with The Pot Maker or Gifts of Grace. | Use the essay's problem-solution structure: change and risk, livelihood, solutions. Add a practical suggestion of your own. |
| Grammar from the unit | Present perfect ('pankhas have become traditional craft items'); fixed expressions and collocations. | Present perfect = has/have + past participle, for past actions with present relevance. |
| Writing: factual description (R1 Q8, 5 marks, 120-150 words) | Describe an artefact, object or place factually, as in the unit's Writing Task. | Name, appearance, materials, region, use, origin and present-day use; no personal opinion; present tense; organised paragraphs. |
Tricks to remember Winds of Change
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
State-fan pairs
Raj = zardozi and appliqué; Guj = beads and mirrors; Kutch = leather; Bengal = sola and Tal Patar; UP = Phadh; Odisha = palm; Bihar = bamboo.
Use it when: Tables and examples questions.
The essay in five Fs
Feather (origin), Frescoes (Ajanta), Forms (regional variety), Fading (technology), Festivals of craft (celebrate, workshops).
Use it when: Recall structure for long answers.
Fact or opinion?
If you can check it (Ajanta, 2nd century CE), it is a fact; if it is a judgement (exotic, stylish, beautiful), it is an opinion.
Use it when: Extract items on fact versus opinion.
Winds of Change: extract-based questions
Read the extract, answer every part on paper, then open the answers.
Extract 1: Pankhas through history
Although there was substantial commonality in their use across India, different villages and towns developed their own varieties of traditional pankhas. Each place developed pankhas with distinct materials or a variety of intricate designs, that set them apart from one another.
(1) · 1 mark · Very short answer
The passage opens: over time pankhas became important cultural goods carried along trade routes, and 'They were considered exotic and stylish.' State whether true or false: Pankhas were traded along trade routes.
(2) · 1 mark · MCQ
(See the context given in the first question.) 'They were considered exotic and stylish' is:
(a) a fact, because it can be measured
(b) an opinion, because it is a judgement about taste
(c) a statistic
(d) a definition(3) · 1 mark · MCQ
The word 'intricate' means:
(a) simple
(b) elaborate and detailed
(c) broken
(d) expensive(4) · 1 mark · Short answer
Infer one reason for the 'commonality' in the use of pankhas across India.
(5) · 1 mark · Short answer
Why has the word 'traditional' been used to describe pankhas?
Show the answersAnswers
- True.
- (b) an opinion, because it is a judgement about taste
- (b) elaborate and detailed
- India's hot climate made fans a need everywhere (and they were also used in temples and courts).
- Because the craft and its designs have been handed down over generations in each region.
Extract 2: Technology and the craft
With time and the advent of technology and innovative creations, the beautiful culture of pankhas runs the risk of slowly losing its presence among Indians. Once made for personal use, over time this handicraft has transformed into a commercial business and now provides some form of livelihood to India’s artisans.
(1) · 1 mark · MCQ
The word 'advent' means:
(a) departure
(b) arrival
(c) failure
(d) cost(2) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Infer one negative impact of technology on pankhas.
(3) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Select the line that shows how the role of the pankha has changed.
(4) · 1 mark · MCQ
The writer calls pankhas a 'culture' rather than an object because:
(a) they are expensive
(b) they carry history, stories, rituals and regional identity
(c) they are made in factories
(d) they are used only in temples(5) · 1 mark · Short answer
Identify the tense of 'has transformed' and say why it is used.
Show the answersAnswers
- (b) arrival
- Electric fans have reduced the everyday need for hand fans, so the craft may fade.
- 'Once made for personal use, over time this handicraft has transformed into a commercial business'
- (b) they carry history, stories, rituals and regional identity
- Present perfect; the change happened in the past but its result continues now.
Winds of Change: exam-level solved questions
Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.
Example 1: Fans and regional identity · 2 marks · Short answerExam level
Support with two examples: 'The structure and design of pankhas are testimony to the cultural identity of the region.' Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Example 1: Gujarat, centre of bead craft, makes bead and mirror-work fans.
- Example 2: Bengal uses local sola and palm leaf.
- Link: local materials and skills shape the fans.
Answer: Gujarat, India's centre of bead craft, makes fans covered with colourful beads and cotton fans with mirror work. Bengal's artisans use the milky-white centre of sola, a local water grass, and palm leaf. Each fan uses the region's own materials and skills, so it reflects local culture.
Example 2: Meaning of the title · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
How does the title 'Winds of Change' capture the essence of the chapter? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Literal: fans create wind.
- Figurative: changes in the craft's role over time.
- Change brings both risk and new opportunities.
Answer: The title is a pun. Literally, pankhas create wind. Figuratively, the craft has faced winds of change: from temples and royal courts to homes, then to decorative and commercial items under pressure from technology. Change brings a risk of decline but also new livelihoods.
Example 3: Workshops and preservation · 2 marks · Short answerExam level
How might pankha-making workshops help preserve the craft? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Spread awareness of beauty and importance.
- Teach new learners, so skills pass on.
- Give artisans visibility and income.
Answer: Workshops spread awareness of the craft's beauty and importance, as the essay says. They let artisans demonstrate their skill and teach new learners, so the craft passes on. They also give makers visibility and buyers, helping them earn a sustainable livelihood.
Example 4: Tradition and innovation · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Evaluate how a balance between traditional craftsmanship and innovative design can save the pankha craft. Answer in about 120-150 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Problem: technology reduces need; craft risks fading.
- Tradition: keeps identity (zardozi, mirror work, sola).
- Innovation: new versions raised demand slightly.
- Balance: new uses (decor, gifts, festivals) with traditional skill.
- Support: exhibitions, fair prices; conclusion.
Answer: With electric fans everywhere, the hand fan has lost its everyday use, and the essay warns that the 'beautiful culture of pankhas' may fade. Holding on to tradition alone will not save it, because people buy what fits modern life. Yet if makers abandon their traditional methods, the craft loses the regional identity that makes it special, such as Rajasthan's zardozi or Bengal's sola. The answer is balance. The essay notes that new 'versions of the pankha' have already slightly increased demand. Artisans can keep their materials and techniques while designing fans as wall decorations, festival gifts or wedding favours. Exhibitions and workshops can then connect them with buyers. In my view, innovation in use and tradition in skill can together give the craft both a future and a soul.
Example 5: Comparing two crafts · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Compare the challenges faced by pankha makers in 'Winds of Change' with those of the potters in 'The Pot Maker'. Answer in about 120-150 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Both are traditional, regional crafts.
- Potters: hard labour and a pittance (Arenla).
- Pankha makers: technology reduces need; risk of fading.
- Both need passing on and support (council; workshops).
- Conclusion.
Answer: Both texts in Kaveri show traditional crafts under pressure. In 'The Pot Maker', Arenla's problem is the hardship of the work: a long walk for clay, tedious pounding and only 'a few rupees' after months of labour, which is why she prefers weaving for her daughter. In 'Winds of Change', the main threat is technology: as electric fans spread, hand fans have become decorative items whose culture 'runs the risk of slowly losing its presence'. In both cases the craft survives only if it is passed on. The village council insists that skills belong to the community and must be taught, while the essay suggests workshops and exhibitions. Both texts suggest that crafts need more than nostalgia; they need learners, buyers and a fair livelihood for those who make them.
Example 6: Decorative use and cultural change · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Suppose your grandmother says hand fans are now 'just for show'. How does the essay explain this change in their role? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Once used for cooling, in temples and courts.
- Technology replaced the practical need.
- Now decorative and commercial: a sign of heritage.
Answer: The essay explains that pankhas were once practical, used in homes, temples and royal courts. Technology has replaced that need, so their use is now mostly decorative. They have become craft items that display heritage and provide artisans with some livelihood.
Where the marks are
How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.
How does the restriction of pankhas to decorative purposes reflect their changing cultural role? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content: from practical use in homes, temples and courts to decoration and commerce because of technology; now a symbol of heritage and a source of livelihood. | 1 |
| Expression: clear and concise. | 1 |
Assess how celebrating pankhas could benefit artisans and the craft (120-150 words). (5 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content: appreciation of culture and stories; makers demonstrate craft. | 1 |
| Content: popularity, commercial platform, sustainable livelihood. | 1 |
| Content: workshops/exhibitions and own suggestion; conclusion. | 1 |
| Expression: organised paragraph. | 1 |
| Accuracy. | 1 |
Where students lose marks in Winds of Change
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Writing that pankhas came from 'pankhi'
Mixing the two words.
Wrong working
Pankha comes from pankhi, a small fan.
Right working
Pankha comes from 'pankh' (feather); pankhi was a small plumed fan.
Do this: pankh = feather; pankhi = small fan; pankha = all fans.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Matching fans to the wrong states
Too many regional names.
Wrong working
Sola fans are from Gujarat.
Right working
Sola fans are from Bengal; bead fans from Gujarat.
Do this: Learn the state-fan pairs.
Usually costs: 1 mark per item.
Mistake: Adding personal opinion to a factual description
Students write as in an essay.
Wrong working
I think this fan is the most beautiful thing ever.
Right working
The fan is made of palm leaf and has a bamboo handle.
Do this: The unit says: do not include your opinion in a factual description.
Usually costs: Content marks in Q8.
Mistake: Saying the essay is against technology
Over-reading the warning.
Wrong working
The writer wants people to stop using electric fans.
Right working
The writer notes the risk to the craft and suggests celebrating and supporting it.
Do this: Report the writer's solution: celebration, workshops, livelihood.
Usually costs: Content marks.
Practice questions on Winds of Change
Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.
Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level
In which ancient site are pankhis seen in Buddhist wall paintings?
(a) Ellora
(b) Ajanta
(c) Sanchi
(d) HampiHint
2nd century CE paintings.
Answer
(b) Ajanta
Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level
Which state is described as the centre of bead craft in India?
Hint
Bead fans with silver handles.
Answer
Gujarat.
Q3 · 2 marks · Short answerExam level
Describe two hand fans of Rajasthan mentioned in the essay. Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Appliqué, zardozi, temple, painted.
Answer
Value points: appliqué fan (fabric pieces sewn on with ornamental needlework); zardozi fan (glittering gold threadwork); temple fans of engraved brass with long handles; painted cardboard fans offered to gods.
Model answer: Rajasthan's appliqué fan is made of pieces of fabric in different shapes sewn onto cloth with ornamental needlework. Its zardozi fan uses glittering, ornate gold threadwork. The state also has engraved brass temple fans with long handles.
Q4 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level
Fill in the blanks with the present perfect: Artisans ____ (keep) the craft alive, and many tribes ____ (adopt) it.
Hint
has/have + past participle.
Answer
have kept / have adopted
Q5 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level
Complete the fixed expressions: (a) high and ____ (b) ____ and figures (c) wear and ____
Hint
The unit's word-pair table.
Answer
(a) dry (b) facts (c) tear
Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Why does the essay say celebrating pankhas is 'one of the first steps' to preserve the craft? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Appreciation → demand → livelihood.
Answer
Value points: appreciation of culture, stories and artistry comes before buying; helps makers show their craft and regain popularity; creates a commercial platform; leads to sustainable livelihood.
Model answer: People protect what they value. Celebrating pankhas makes people appreciate their culture, stories and artistry. This lets makers show their craft and regain popularity, and it creates a commercial platform, so artisans can earn a sustainable livelihood and continue the craft.
Q7 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder exam level
Writing task: Write a factual description (120-150 words) of a handmade object from your region, such as a hand fan, a basket or a lamp.
Hint
No opinions; facts in a logical order.
Answer
Value points: name and region; physical features (shape, size, colour); materials; how it is made (steps); traditional use and any origin story; present-day use; organised paragraphs; present tense; objective tone without 'I think' or 'beautiful in my view'.
Q8 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Suppose your school plans a 'Crafts of India' day. Using ideas from the essay, propose three activities that would help artisans, not just entertain students. Answer in about 120-150 words.
Hint
Celebration, workshops, commercial platform.
Answer
Value points: invite artisans for live demonstrations (celebrating the craft); hands-on pankha-making workshop led by artisans and paid fairly; a sale stall or online order link (commercial platform); story corner on the history and regional types; follow-up such as school orders for gifts; link to the essay's call for sustainable livelihood.
Model answer: First, we could invite local artisans to demonstrate pankha-making, so students see the skill and stories behind each fan, as the essay advises when it speaks of 'celebrating pankhas'. Second, artisans could lead paid workshops in which students make simple palm leaf or paper fans; this spreads awareness and gives the makers income. Third, a sale stall at the event, along with a list of the artisans' contacts, would give them a real commercial platform. The school could also order fans as prizes for annual day. These activities go beyond entertainment because they turn our interest into steady demand. As the essay suggests, a craft survives when people appreciate it and when its makers can earn a sustainable livelihood.
Q9 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Is it right to call a hand fan a 'culture' rather than just an object? Give your view in 40-50 words.
Hint
History, ritual, region, livelihood.
Answer
Value points: yes; it carries history (Ajanta), ritual (temples), regional identity, skills passed on, livelihoods; an object becomes culture through people.
Model answer: Yes. A pankha carries history from Ajanta, rituals in temples, regional skills like zardozi or sola work, and the livelihoods of artisans. Because so many people, stories and traditions are woven into it, it is more than an object; it is a living culture.
Test your recall
Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.
1.What does 'pankh' mean?Show answer
Feather of a bird.
2.What was a 'pankhi'?Show answer
A small plumed fan used in ancient India.
3.Where were pankhis painted, and when?Show answer
Ajanta, 2nd century CE.
4.What is sola?Show answer
A type of water grass; its milky-white spongy centre is used for fans in Bengal.
5.What is the Tal Patar Pankha?Show answer
Bengal's palm leaf hand fan.
6.Which fans of Uttar Pradesh use gold, silver zari, silk and satin?Show answer
Phadh hand fans.
7.What colour combination do tribal fans often use?Show answer
White ink on a red background, with geometric patterns.
8.Which tense is practised in this unit?Show answer
Present perfect.
Quick revision checklist
The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?
- Can you explain the origin of 'pankha' and 'pankhi'?
- Can you match seven states with their fans?
- Can you explain the double meaning of the title?
- Can you state the problem and two solutions the essay gives?
- Can you tell fact from opinion in the essay's sentences?
- Can you write a factual description without opinions?
- Can you use the present perfect for a change with present results?
Winds of Change: frequently asked questions
What is Winds of Change about?
It is an essay in Kaveri Unit 3 about India's traditional hand fans (pankhas): their origin, history, regional varieties, their changing role in modern times and ways to preserve the craft.
Where does the word 'pankha' come from?
From 'pankh', meaning the feather of a bird. A 'pankhi' was a small plumed fan used in ancient India.
What is the earliest evidence of pankhis mentioned in the essay?
Buddhist wall paintings at Ajanta, dating back to the 2nd century CE.
Name some regional hand fans described in the chapter.
Rajasthan's appliqué, zardozi, brass temple and painted fans; Gujarat's mirror work and bead fans; Kutch's leather fans; Bengal's sola and Tal Patar Pankha (palm leaf); Uttar Pradesh's Phadh fans; Odisha's palm leaf and Bihar's bamboo fans.
Why is the essay called Winds of Change?
The title is a pun. Fans create wind, and the craft has gone through great change: from temples and courts to homes, and now to decorative and commercial items at risk of fading.
How can the pankha craft be preserved?
By celebrating pankhas and their stories, giving artisans a commercial platform for a sustainable livelihood, and holding workshops and exhibitions that spread awareness.
Based on: CBSE English Language syllabus, Class IX 2026-27 (R1 and R2); NCERT Kaveri, Textbook of English for Grade 9 (First Edition 2026), Unit 3: Winds of Change