Winds of Change Questions and Answers | Class 9 Kaveri

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 (use the name actually spoken in your family). 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.
Not established by the extract; if restricted to True/False, choose False. It calls pankhas significant cultural goods traded across regions, but gives no comparison or ranking to show they were among the most popular items. Significance is not evidence of that superlative.

(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.
A shared need for relief from heat is a reasonable inference — 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 can reduce demand for hand fans in everyday 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 can bring more orders and income, helping artisans continue their work. It does not by itself guarantee a steady or sufficient livelihood.

(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 opportunities for a more sustainable livelihood, which may help the craft 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. The passage emphasises the growth of decorative and heritage value. This does not mean that hand fans have stopped serving practical purposes everywhere; the personal-response activity itself allows examples of household use.

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…

Best-fit intended selection: 1, 2, 3 and 6. Statements 3 and 6 are directly supported. Statements 1 and 2 are looser paraphrases: Rohan recalls that Grandma likes objects with some weight but worries about portability; Priya then suggests something neither too heavy nor too light.

The exercise asks for four choices, but its wording is not an exact match to the speakers’ statements. Use the evidence above rather than claiming every selected sentence is verbatim.

Hello friends! I am a hand fan — a palm-leaf pankha with a bamboo handle and a bright red border. I am light and easy to carry, 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.)

Model description — adapt to your own object: The object is a folding paper hand fan made from coloured craft paper and glue. The sheet is folded into evenly spaced accordion pleats. The pleated strip is folded in half, and the two inner edges are glued together to form a fan that opens outward. A paper band holds the joined lower end. The surface has alternating blue and yellow strips. The fan folds flat for storage and moves air when waved by hand. It must be kept dry because its body is paper.

Record your own measured dimensions and materials. Do not invent a weight, origin, award or performance claim. A factual description reports observable features rather than opinions such as “the most beautiful fan”.

Research template: Give its local name; describe shape, size and colour; list materials and tools; explain the observed making process; identify uses; and record where your information came from. Ask the maker about traditional use and changes in design. Label an origin story as a story unless supported by reliable historical evidence. Do not assume that all examples use the same materials or method.

1. Fold a rectangular sheet of craft paper into even accordion pleats.
2. Press the folds, then fold the pleated strip in half.
3. Glue the two inner edges together and let the join dry.
4. Secure the joined base with a small paper band.
5. Spread the pleats gently, display the fan and explain the materials and steps.

This is one simple model method; the textbook shows other designs too. Describe the method your group actually uses.

Johnsy, seriously ill with pneumonia, mistakenly links her life to the falling leaves of an ivy creeper. Sue cares for her and seeks medical help. Behrman paints a leaf on the wall during the storm when the real last leaf falls. Seeing the apparently enduring leaf helps Johnsy regain hope and cooperate with care. Behrman later dies of pneumonia; Sue identifies the painted leaf as his masterpiece.

The story links art with compassion, hope and sacrifice. Johnsy’s belief about the leaves is not a true prediction, and her despair should not be treated as a moral failing. The literary ending does not make hope a replacement for medical treatment. No written answer is required by the textbook for this reading-for-enjoyment activity.

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, represented in the Ajanta wall paintings cited by the passage; see the historical note above for the dating distinction.

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 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. Electric fans reduced reliance on hand fans in many settings, while decorative and heritage uses gained importance. 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 — retaining cultural importance while its uses and markets change.

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 can reduce everyday demand, while appreciation, practical use, teaching and fair markets can support the craft. When people value, buy and learn the craft, its knowledge passes on — and the winds of change become winds of revival.