The punkhawallah

The people in the picture were called punkhawala (पंखा-वाला).

Simply said, their job was to “work” the fans by pulling on the rope which were attached to a pulley system which produced a draft when flapped, similar to the wings of a bird.

These punkhawallah were mostly deaf so they couldn't hear any confidential conversations of the britishers.

They helped the British officers to sleep comfortably by lying on the balcony with their feet tied with ropes and doing the movements.

 

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