NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Kaveri Chapter 3 – Winds of Change

Yes, my grandmother still keeps a hand fan beside her bed and uses it whenever the power goes off. In our language we call it a pankha (it is beesani in Rajasthani, visiri in Tamil, haath-pankha in many Hindi homes). Hers is made of woven palm leaf with a bamboo handle and a red cloth border.

1. indigenous — (iv) local, from where it originated  |  2. innovative — (v) new and original in approach  |  3. industrious — (i) hardworking  |  4. intricate — (vi) elaborate/detailed  |  5. invoked — (iii) brought out  |  6. initiatives — (ii) actions to improve a situation

(i) State whether the following sentence is true or false: Pankhas were one of the most popular items of commerce.
True — they became significant cultural goods distributed through trade routes and were considered exotic and stylish.

(ii) Why has the word ‘traditional’ been used to describe pankhas?
Because pankhas were developed over generations by particular villages and towns, using local materials and designs handed down within the community — they carry the customs and identity of their region.

(iii) The sentence ‘They were considered exotic and stylish’ is an opinion and not a fact because ______.
…it expresses how people perceived and judged the pankhas — a view that cannot be objectively measured or proved, unlike a verifiable fact.

(iv) Infer one reason for commonality in the use of pankhas across India.
The hot climate is common to most of India, so people everywhere needed fans for relief from heat — and shared customs like fanning deities in temples and kings in courts also made their use similar across regions.

(v) Select the correct assertion for the given reason (pankhas were made of indigenous materials, unique to the region, with elaborate designs).
A. Each kind of pankha could be distinguished from the other.

(i) Infer one negative impact of technological advancement on pankha.
Electric fans and air conditioners have replaced hand fans in daily use, so the pankha culture is slowly losing its presence among Indians and the craft risks dying out.

(ii) The writer refers to ‘pankhas’ not just as an object but as a ‘culture’ because ______.
…pankhas embody the stories, artistry, rituals and regional identity of the communities that craft them — they carry a whole way of life, not merely a function.

(iii) Select a line from the extract which depicts how the role of the pankha has changed over the years.
“Once made for personal use, over time this handicraft has transformed into a commercial business.”

(iv) List one way in which the increase in demand of pankhas might benefit artisans.
Greater demand gives artisans a steady income — a sustainable livelihood — and motivates them to continue and pass on the craft.

(v) Select the factor that has contributed to the commercialisation of pankhas.
B. economic demand

1. How does the title ‘Winds of Change’ capture the essence of the chapter?
The title works on two levels. Literally, fans create winds — the pankha’s very purpose. Figuratively, the chapter records the winds of change that have blown over the craft: from temples and royal courts to household use, from personal possession to commercial product, and from daily necessity to decorative heritage threatened by technology. The title thus joins the object and its history in a single elegant phrase.

2. ‘The structure and design of pankhas are testimony to the cultural identity of the region.’ Support with two examples.
Rajasthan’s zardozi fans, with their glittering ornate gold threadwork, reflect the state’s royal courtly traditions of rich embroidery. Gujarat’s bead-covered fans with silver handles reflect its standing as the centre of bead craft in India, while Kutch’s hand-stitched leather fans trimmed with thread and wool grow directly out of its leather-craft heritage. (Bengal’s sola fans, made from a local water grass, are an equally good example.)

3. Evaluate how the balance between preserving traditional craftsmanship and incorporating innovative designs will help pankhas survive.
Preservation keeps the soul of the craft alive — the regional materials, motifs and techniques that make each pankha a cultural document. Innovation keeps it relevant — new versions as wall décor, gifts and fashion accessories attract modern buyers, and the chapter itself notes that the slight rise in demand has come from different versions being crafted. Together they form a healthy balance: tradition gives the craft its identity and value, innovation gives it customers and income, and each sustains the other.

4. How might initiatives such as pankha-making workshops contribute to the preservation of this traditional craft?
Workshops spread awareness of the craft’s beauty and importance, let contemporary makers demonstrate their skill before the public, and teach the techniques to younger people so the knowledge is not lost. They also create buyers and markets, giving artisans a commercial platform and a sustainable livelihood — the surest guarantee that the craft will continue.

5. The writer mentions celebrating pankhas in the concluding part of the chapter. Assess how this could be beneficial to artisans and the craft.
Celebration restores pride and visibility. When the culture, stories and artistry of pankhas are appreciated at exhibitions and festivals, makers regain popularity and respect, demand rises, and artisans earn a stable income. For the craft itself, celebration attracts new learners and keeps its regional traditions alive — turning a fading heritage into a living, valued art.

6. How does the restriction of the use of pankha for decorative purposes reflect the changing cultural role of these traditional fans in modern India?
It shows that the pankha has moved from utility to heritage. Electric fans now do its practical work, so the hand fan survives as a thing of beauty — a wall decoration, a collectible, a craft item. Its value today is symbolic and cultural rather than functional: it represents memory, regional identity and artistic skill, and India preserves it for what it means rather than for what it does.

More pairs from the text: “cane and palm leaves” (material), “grass and metal” (material), “beads and stones” (material), “white ink and red background” (appearance).

(i) The students have to take the English exam tomorrow.
(ii) The interviewer asked the candidate to have a seat.
(iii) My scooter ran into a car.
(iv) I must take responsibility for my success.
(v) I would like to improve my grammar.

Underlined verbs (present perfect): 1. have become  2. have worked  3. have adopted  4. has transformed

Paragraph: Puppeteers (i) have created intricate characters… They (ii) have mastered the delicate movements… Over the years, puppetry (iii) has evolved… Many puppeteers (iv) have passed down their craft… They (v) have performed in theatres, on television, and at festivals…

True statements: 1 (Rohan recalls that Grandma likes things with a bit of weight), 2 (Priya suggests something “in between — not too heavy, not too light” that can be moved easily), 3 (Rohan remembers Grandma likes sitting in the verandah in the evenings) and 6 (Priya narrows it down to the lightweight bamboo pankha with beadwork or the embroidered one with mirror work).
False: 4 (it is Rohan, not Priya, who says Grandma keeps special things close), 5 (Rohan calls the intricate appliqué fans beautiful, not too delicate) and 7 (they decide to ask Mom before buying).

Hello friends! I am a hand fan — a palm-leaf pankha with a bamboo handle and a bright red border. I am light, foldable into any bag, and I work without electricity, fanning my owner in power cuts, temples and village fairs. What I love about myself is my heritage: my ancestors fanned kings and deities, and artists still paint and embroider my cousins across India. My weakness? I need a human hand to move me, and I cannot cool a whole room. But I am unique because I am not just a machine — I am a piece of culture, a story you can hold. (Prepare similar speeches for the ceiling fan, table fan and handheld electric fan.)

A Paper Hand Fan
The artefact is a folding paper hand fan made in our craft class. It is semi-circular when open, about 25 centimetres wide, and made of one A3 sheet of thick blue craft paper, two ice-cream sticks and white glue. The sheet was first decorated with block-printed motifs in white and yellow. It was then folded in accordion pleats of one centimetre each, pressed flat, and pinched together at one end. The two ice-cream sticks were glued on either side of the pinched end to form the handle, and a ribbon was tied around the base to hold the pleats. When the pleats are spread, the fan opens; when pressed together, it folds flat to the width of the sticks. The fan weighs about twenty grams, produces a steady breeze when waved, and is used as both a cooling device and a decorative item.

Name and physical characteristics: The clay diya — a small oil lamp, palm-sized, bowl-shaped with a pinched lip for the wick; earthy red-brown, sometimes painted and mirrored.
Material: River clay, shaped on the potter’s wheel, sun-dried and kiln-fired; decorated with poster colours and glitter.
Region and traditional use: Made by kumhars (potters) across North India; lit in homes and temples, especially at Diwali, as a symbol of light over darkness.
Origin and evolution: Among the oldest crafts of the subcontinent, found at Harappan sites; today’s diyas include designer and scented-wax versions.
Safe, effective use today: Place on heat-proof surfaces away from curtains; use mustard oil and cotton wicks; buying local diyas supports artisan livelihoods — exactly the message of our chapter.

We took a square sheet of patterned craft paper, folded it edge-to-edge in one-centimetre accordion pleats, and creased each fold firmly. We pinched the pleats together at one end, bound them with thread, and glued two painted ice-cream sticks on the sides as handles. Finally we spread the pleats into a semicircle, added a ribbon bow at the base, and our paper hand fan was ready for display.

This is a reading-for-pleasure activity. In the story, the ailing Johnsy decides she will die when the last ivy leaf falls — but the last leaf never falls, because old Behrman, an unsuccessful artist, paints it on the wall during a stormy night, catching pneumonia and dying after creating his masterpiece. Like this chapter, the story celebrates the quiet, sacrificial power of art and craft in human life.

Q1. What is the origin of the words ‘pankha’ and ‘pankhi’? (30–40 words)
‘Pankha’ comes from ‘pankh’, meaning a bird’s feather. ‘Pankha’ refers to all fans, while ‘pankhi’ was the small plumed fan of ancient India, seen in the 2nd-century CE Buddhist wall paintings at Ajanta.

Q2. How were pankhas used in ancient India? (30–40 words)
They were used in temples to fan deities and in royal courts to fan kings. They ranged from tiny two-inch fans to huge ones that required a person’s full arm strength to move.

Q3. What makes Gujarat special in the story of the pankha? (30–40 words)
Gujarat is India’s bead-craft centre — its dainty bead fans have silver handles — and Kutch makes hand-stitched leather fans trimmed with thread and wool, largely crafted by industrious home-based women workers.

Q4. Trace how the pankha’s journey reflects India’s changing times. (100–120 words)
The pankha’s journey mirrors India’s own. In ancient times it served gods and kings, painted on the walls of Ajanta; along medieval trade routes it became an exotic cultural good, with every region weaving its identity into bamboo, silk, brass and leather. In households it remained a daily companion for centuries — until electricity arrived. The electric fan took over its function, pushing the hand fan into the role of decoration and heritage craft. Yet the change brought a new chapter: what was once made for personal use is now a commercial business that sustains artisans. The pankha thus tells the story of tradition adapting to technology — surviving not by use, but by being celebrated.

Q5. What steps does the writer suggest for preserving the pankha craft? Why are they important? (100–120 words)
The writer’s first step is celebration — appreciating the culture, stories and artistry that pankhas embody, so that the craft regains respect and visibility. Concretely, this means pankha-making workshops, both within and outside handicraft exhibitions, which spread awareness of the craft’s beauty and importance. Such platforms let contemporary makers demonstrate their skill, win back popularity and reach buyers, creating a commercial market that gives artisans a sustainable livelihood. These steps matter because the craft’s greatest threat is invisibility: technology has removed the pankha from daily use, and only public appreciation can replace that lost role. When people value, buy and learn the craft, its knowledge passes on — and the winds of change become winds of revival.