Tale Of Punkhawallahs

Before the coming of sophisticated air conditioners and fancy fans, we had hand fans. Mostly used by commoners, these hand fans made of cane and bamboo were the only rescue from the summer heat of India. However, what did the royals and British do when they were unable to bear the heat and humidity? They hired the punkhawallahs to beat the heat and sleep comfortably.

Punkhawallahs. Image Source: Servants Pasts

In the comforts of our bedroom, when we do not get to close our eyes and dream a bit, we often term this phenomenon sleep insomnia. This could stem from several factors like medical issues, stress, overthinking, uncomfortable bed or sleeping position, disturbance, unbearable heat or cold, and insect bites. But did you ever think that there was a time in India when there was no electricity, plenty of mosquitoes and bed bugs, and sleep was like a luxury to most people? What did people do during those times? It is said that in those days, the British who never had the habit of tolerating such heat, stooped to violence to get a good night’s sleep.

When the British and Europeans settled in India, little did they know that controlling the Indians and their actions might be easy, but sleep might still pose as a luxury to them? They were not able to sleep peacefully from April to November. Often complaining of the scorching summer heat, mosquitoes buzzing near their ears and biting them incessantly, bed bugs and flies, storms, and heavy rain, disturbed their sleep pattern to such an extent that they sat down to write their sleep experience in the form of records and diaries. When one reads these records, one can find complaints of constant sleep disturbances, frustrating moments, incessant sweating, and an unsuitable climate.

Lack of sleep often led to inefficiency in British officers. They lacked a certain amount of efficiency, the ability to do their work on time, and of course, the administrative knack. A disturbed, fragmented, and inadequate sleep pattern may result not only in a slow start to the job but also in a lousy attitude. "The next day's task becomes a hardship," commented a missionary. Before the invention of power, it was typical for individuals to sleep outdoors, in the shade of a tree or on the veranda with a small fan, where it was cooler. Although the British built safe havens in the hill stations of northern and southern India in the mid-19th century. But not everyone lived in hill stations, Some were also posted in the plains of north India where heat and humidity were at their peak.

To solve the problem, the British invented punkhas or ceiling fans. Rectangular in shape, this punkha was made up of a cane or a wooden frame, with a cloth covering it. The punkha was suspended from the ceiling and its rope extended to an outer room. The punkha was pulled by servants or slaves who were monikered as punkhawallah. The punkah, a swinging fabric fan on a frame, was a summer gadget used in India before the British arrived. During colonial authority, however, it evolved into the most fascinating "labor-intensive" piece of rudimentary fan technology.

The tradition of punkhas and punkhawallahs was not introduced during colonial rule. The history of ceiling fans and hand fans goes back to royal Mughal courts that existed in the sixteenth century. When Peter Mundy, a famous traveler once visited Shah Jahan’s court in Agra, he remarked on the presence of "the vast synthetic fanne of linen which hanges downe from aloft.” Not only Peter’s records, but when we look at the Hobson-Jobson book, it indicates that the punkha was also present way back in the 8th century in Arabian countries. The punkha’s regular to and fro movement created a mild breeze, allowing British ex-pats and rich Indians to work and slumber in peace.

Punkhas was a privilege that could only be found in luxurious mansions, government bungalows, and offices. A British officer wrote the following lines, describing the punkhas and punkhawallahs, “You have a punkah above your bed, another above your bath-tub, another at your dressing-table, another above your dining-table, and another above your desk. Your body servant summons your punkah-wallah and instructs him to switch from one chord to another as you walk around your chamber or from one room to another. You have the punkah moving someplace all day and night, and for that, you need two men to relieve each other. You are fanned to sleep when you go to bed.”

Stay tuned for the next part where we would be focusing on the tough lives of the punkhawallahs and their struggles to keep up with the expectations of their white masters!