Winds of Change (Kaveri Unit 3): Regional Pankhas and Keeping the Craft Alive
Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked
Winds of Change is an essay on the pankha, the traditional Indian hand fan. The word comes from "pankh", a bird's feather. Fans appear in Ajanta paintings and were used in temples and royal courts. Each region developed its own type, but technology has made them mostly decorative, and the essay says the craft can survive if we celebrate it and support artisans.
Notice that each region's pankha uses local materials and skills, such as Rajasthan's zardozi or Bengal's sola and palm leaf.
Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.
Understand Winds of Change: Regional Pankhas, the Risk of Fading and Keeping the Craft Alive
The word and its history. The word "punkha" or "pankha" comes from "pankh", meaning a bird's feather. "Pankha" is used for all fans, while "pankhi" was a small plumed fan of ancient India. Pankhis appear in Buddhist wall paintings at Ajanta dating to the 2nd century CE, and fans also appear in embroidery, sculptures and carvings. They were used to fan deities in temples and kings in royal courts, and they ranged from a tiny two-inch fan to huge ones that needed a person's full arm strength.
A cultural good. Pankhas travelled along trade routes and were thought exotic and stylish. Although 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. The structure of each fan reflects the cultural core of its region. Rajasthan has the appliqué fan, 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, and it is India's centre of bead craft; home-based women workers make embroidered fans. Kutch is known for hand-stitched leather 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 has 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, and new versions have slightly increased demand. Today pankhas are mostly decorative.
Preserving the craft. The essay says the first step is to celebrate pankhas and appreciate the culture, stories and artistry behind them. Workshops and exhibitions spread awareness and help artisans earn a sustainable living.
Central idea. A simple object carries history, regional identity and artistry. Change is inevitable, but appreciation and support can help traditional crafts survive.
Winds of Change: Regional Pankhas, the Risk of Fading and Keeping the Craft Alive: key facts
- Origin
Pankha from pankh, a feather Pankhi small plumed fan Ajanta 2nd century CE paintings - Words and dates as in the text.
- Regional fans
Rajasthan appliqué, zardozi, brass Gujarat mirror work, bead Kutch leather Bengal sola, Tal Patar UP Phadh Odisha palm Bihar bamboo - Link region to material.
- Past and present
- Past: temples, courts, personal use | Present: decorative, commercial
- Shows the change.
- Ways to preserve
- Celebrate the craft
- Workshops
- Exhibitions
- Three ways in the essay; the aim is a sustainable livelihood for artisans.
How to answer Winds of Change: Regional Pankhas, the Risk of Fading and Keeping the Craft Alive questions
Use this for factual or extract questions.
- 1Give the origin of the word pankha.
- 2State the use in the past.
- 3Give two regional examples with materials.
- 4State the present risk.
- 5Give the ways to preserve and the message.
Winds of Change: Regional Pankhas, the Risk of Fading and Keeping the Craft Alive in real life
The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
A local craft
Suppose a town is known for hand-woven cane baskets, but fewer shops stock them because plastic ones are cheaper. A school organises an exhibition where students buy baskets for their classrooms.
Which step from the essay is this? Answer in 2 lines.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- A craft is at risk.
- An exhibition celebrates it.
Answer: It is the step of celebrating the craft through exhibitions, which spreads awareness and helps artisans earn a sustainable living, as the essay says.
Memory hook: Celebrate to preserve.
Tricks to remember Winds of Change: Regional Pankhas, the Risk of Fading and Keeping the Craft Alive
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
P = Pankh
Pankha comes from pankh, a feather.
Use it when: Origin.
R-G-K-B-U
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kutch, Bengal, UP.
Use it when: Regions in order.
C-W-E
Celebrate, Workshops, Exhibitions.
Use it when: Ways to preserve.
Winds of Change: Regional Pankhas, the Risk of Fading and Keeping the Craft Alive: solved examples
Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.
Example 1: Origin · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
The word pankha comes from the word
(a) pankhuri (b) pankh (c) pankti (d) panch
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- The text says pankh, a bird's feather.
Answer: (b) pankh
Example 2: Ajanta · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level
What does the text say about pankhis at Ajanta? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Buddhist wall paintings (1).
- 2nd century CE (1).
Answer: The text says that pankhis appear in the Buddhist wall paintings at Ajanta. These paintings date back to the 2nd century CE. The detail shows that fans have been part of Indian life for a very long time, and they are also seen in embroidery, sculptures and carvings.
Example 3: Local variety · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Why did each village and town develop its own type of pankha? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Geography (1).
- Culture and ritual (1).
- Local materials (1).
Answer: Each place had different materials, such as bamboo, cane, palm leaf, silk, brass, leather or silver. Geography, culture and ritual also shaped the design. So the structure of each fan reflects the cultural core of the region that makes it, which is why India has so many types.
Example 4: Change · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
How has the use of pankhas changed over time? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Past use in temples and courts (1).
- Present: decorative (1).
- Reason: technology (1).
Answer: In the past pankhas fanned deities in temples and kings in royal courts, and were made for personal use. Today they are mostly decorative craft items. With technology and new inventions, the culture of pankhas risks fading, though new versions have slightly increased demand and give artisans some livelihood.
Example 5: Saving a craft · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
What steps does the essay suggest for saving the craft of pankhas, and do you think they will work? Answer in 100-120 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- The steps (2).
- Reasoned view (2).
- Link to artisans (1).
- Expression (1).
Answer: The essay says the first step is to celebrate pankhas and appreciate the culture, stories and artistry behind them. Workshops and exhibitions can spread awareness and give artisans a chance to show their craft, regain popularity and earn a sustainable living. I think these steps can work, because appreciation creates demand, and demand supports livelihood. When buyers know the stories behind a Rajasthani zardozi fan or a Bengali sola fan, they will value it beyond decoration. But the steps will work only if they are continued and if artisans receive fair prices, so that the craft remains a real source of income.
Where students lose marks in Winds of Change: Regional Pankhas, the Risk of Fading and Keeping the Craft Alive
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Writing the origin wrongly
The text gives pankh.
Wrong working
Pankha means wind.
Right working
Pankha comes from pankh, a bird's feather.
Do this: Quote the origin.
Usually costs: 1 mark
Mistake: Mixing regions and fans
Match carefully.
Wrong working
Bead fans are from Bengal.
Right working
Bead fans are from Gujarat; sola fans are from Bengal.
Do this: Learn pairs.
Usually costs: 1 mark
Mistake: Treating the essay as a story
It is informative.
Wrong working
The story of a fan maker.
Right working
An informative essay on pankhas.
Do this: Use "essay".
Usually costs: 1 mark
Mistake: Ignoring the solution
The essay ends with remedies.
Wrong working
Only the problem is written.
Right working
Celebrate, workshops and exhibitions.
Do this: Always include remedies.
Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks
Exam tips
- Learn at least five region-and-material pairs.
- Mention Ajanta and the 2nd century CE for age.
- State that the text names no author.
- Use the word sustainable livelihood for artisans.
- End with appreciation as the first step.
Practice questions on Winds of Change: Regional Pankhas, the Risk of Fading and Keeping the Craft Alive
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 · MCQBoard level
Gujarat is described as the centre for which craft?
(a) bead craft (b) leather craft (c) sola craft (d) bamboo craftHint
See the Gujarat line.
Answer
(a) bead craft
Q2 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Which material do Bengal's artisans use for fans? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
White, spongy centre.
Answer
Bengal's artisans use sola, the white, spongy centre of a plant, to make fans. The palm leaf fan, called the Tal Patar Pankha, is also found in Bengali homes. The materials show how a region uses what is locally available for its craft.
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Why does the text describe pankhas as "a cultural good"? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Think of trade routes and regions.
Answer
Pankhas travelled along trade routes and were thought exotic and stylish, and each region gave them its own materials and designs. They therefore carry the culture, rituals and skills of many communities. Because of this, the text treats them as a cultural good, not just a tool for cooling.
Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
What is the effect of the title "Winds of Change"? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Think of the fan's wind and of change.
Answer
The title plays on two ideas: the wind a fan makes and the changes that the craft has gone through. Pankhas once cooled temples and courts; now they decorate homes. The title warns that winds of change can blow away traditional crafts unless they are supported.
Q5 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Suppose you are asked to organise a one-day exhibition on a local craft in your school. Write a plan of action in 100-120 words, using the essay's ideas.
Hint
Use celebration, workshops and livelihood.
Answer
I would begin by inviting artisans of a local craft and asking them to display their work with the stories behind it, so that visitors appreciate the culture and not just the object. We would hold a short workshop in which students try the craft under the artisan's guidance. The products would be sold at fair prices, and the money would go directly to the makers, which supports a sustainable livelihood. A poster would explain the history of the craft, as the essay explains the Ajanta fans. I would follow up with a visit to the artisans' workshops, so that interest continues beyond one day.
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 is the origin of the word pankha?Show answer
Pankh, a bird's feather.
2.Where are pankhis seen in paintings?Show answer
At Ajanta.
3.Which state is the centre of bead craft?Show answer
Gujarat.
4.What do Bengal artisans use?Show answer
Sola, the spongy white centre of a plant.
5.What are pankhas mostly used for today?Show answer
Decoration.
6.Which poem is in the same unit?Show answer
Canvas of Soil.
Winds of Change: Regional Pankhas, the Risk of Fading and Keeping the Craft Alive: frequently asked questions
What is the central idea?
A simple object carries history and regional identity; appreciation can help crafts survive.
What does the title mean?
The wind of the fan and the changes in the craft.
Who wrote the essay?
The textbook names no author.
What is the first step to preserve pankhas?
To celebrate them and appreciate their culture and artistry.