Tall wild grass growing along canals and ponds in the village is torn apart and used as the raw material for these pankhas. Locally it is referred to as moonja/ chirwa/ pharra. Several other materials including cloth, bamboo, palm leaf, straw and mat are also used.
Moonja is boiled in different colors and left to dry in the sun for a few days before it is used to construct a fan. Once, the pattern and color combination of the pankha is decided, women start to weave the design - each one being unique, imaginative and exquisite. These patterns follow grid/ geometry, requiring immense mental calculation and precision. Popular motifs include birds, animals, flowers and geometrical shapes. Once the base of the pankha, usually a square or a circle, is ready with the pattern, a contrasting or matching cloth is sewn on all the edges so that the straw/ moonja gets a well finished periphery. This is then decorated with tassles and small flowers made out of waste cloth that these women find in their neighborhood. Lastly, the handle of the fan, made from a split bamboo stick is attached, making it a revolving hand-held pankha. It takes two to three days to complete a fan.
