Chapter 3 — Winds of Change

The word 'punkha' or 'pankha' originates from 'pankh,' which means feather of a bird. 'Pankha' is used to refer to all fans, while 'pankhi' denotes a small plumed fan used in ancient India.

Evidence of pankha use in ancient India is found in Buddhist wall paintings at Ajanta, which date back to the 2nd century CE. Pankhas are also represented in embroidery work, sculptures, and carvings.

In ancient times, pankhas were used in temples to fan deities and in royal courts to fan kings. They varied in size from a tiny two-inch fan to large ones requiring a person's full arm strength.

Pankhas were made from bamboo, cane, palm leaf, silk, brass, leather, and silver, often decorated with beads and stones depending on the geography, culture, and traditional rituals of each region.

Rajasthan has the appliqué fan (fabric pieces sewn onto cloth) and the zardozi fan (gold threadwork). Gujarat makes cotton fans with mirror work, beadwork fans with silver handles, and Kutch is known for hand-stitched leather fans. Bengal makes delicate sola fans and Tal Patar Pankha (palm leaf fans). Uttar Pradesh's Phadh fans use pure gold, silver zari, silk, and satin. Bihar makes colourful sturdy bamboo fans, and Odisha has large palm leaf fans.

With the advent of technology and innovative creations, the culture of pankhas runs the risk of slowly losing its presence among Indians. In modern times, their use has been restricted mainly to decorative purposes. Once made for personal use, the craft has transformed into a commercial business that provides livelihood to artisans.

The chapter suggests celebrating pankhas and appreciating the culture, stories, and artistry they invoke. It recommends pankha-making workshops, both within and outside handicraft exhibitions, to spread awareness, help contemporary pankha makers demonstrate their craft, and create a sustainable livelihood.

The main characters are Sue and Johnsy, two young artists sharing a flat on the third storey of an old house, and Behrman, a 60-year-old painter living on the ground floor. Johnsy falls seriously ill with pneumonia and convinces herself she will die when the last ivy leaf falls outside her window. Behrman secretly paints a realistic leaf on the wall during a stormy night. Johnsy sees it, regains the will to live, and recovers — but Behrman dies of pneumonia as a result of being out in the storm. The painting is revealed to be his masterpiece.

Johnsy, gravely ill with pneumonia, fixates on an ivy creeper outside her window and counts its falling leaves, convinced that when the last leaf falls, she too will die. The doctor tells Sue that Johnsy has made up her mind she is not going to get well, and without the will to live, medicines cannot help her.

Behrman went out in the stormy night and painted a lifelike ivy leaf on the brick wall opposite Johnsy's window. The painted leaf remained green and healthy through the storms, giving Johnsy the courage to fight her illness. It is described as Behrman's masterpiece — the fulfilment of his lifelong dream of painting one — though it cost him his life.

'Canvas of Soil' uses metaphor (seeds as brushstrokes, earth as palette, garden plots as canvases), imagery (colours, blossoms, shades of green), alliteration ('Blossoms bloom'), and an AABB rhyme scheme. The tone is appreciative and the mood joyful. The poem can also be interpreted as an allegory, where the garden represents life's journey and growth, or harmony and diversity.

The poem is by Toru Dutt. It describes a lush, colourful garden containing light-green tamarinds, dark-green mango clumps, grey palms, seemuls with striking red flowers, quiet pools, bamboos, and a white lotus that moonlight transforms into a 'cup of silver.' The poem ends by comparing the scene to a primeval Eden.

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