Indian Object | Winnowing Fan

History and Origin

Winnowing means the process of separation of grain from chaff. The process of wind winnowing is an ancient agricultural method. The ancient process of winnowing involved tossing up of grain against the naturally flowing wind, the lighter chaff particles will then flow away from grain. Although, the process of practicing winnowing was different in different regions of the world. In the context of Indian culture, winnowing was done with the help of a basket like structure which was filled with grain and then from a considerable height the content was shaken and slowly pushed out against the wind, the process also differed based on the type of crop.

The presence of winnowing fans can be found in the history of Greek, Indian and Chinese cultures. As agriculture was one of the most common practices and basic needs of any civilization, the process of winnowing also became a basic need of the practice. Apart from the agricultural involvement, in Ancient Greek religion it was also used in the Dionysian mysteries; a mystic ritual where the new born babies were kept in the winnowing basket and blessings from gods were expected. The use of winnowing fans can also be seen in various Indian rituals till date. More than its original purpose, the fans were later used to fulfill basic daily life needs, more often as a basket.

Use of winnowing fans can be easily seen in Indian sub-continent mostly by the women of the house. Since ancient times Indians have been using winnowing fans not only in the larger agricultural context but also in the small daily routines. Women using winnowing fans before cooking, to separate small dust and unwanted particles from rice, wheat or pulses is a common sight in many Indian households.

Winnowing fans can be seen as one the most integrated appliances of the households in villages or small towns, from its use as a basket to an important element in many rituals. The use of winnowing fans can also be seen in some marriage rituals where bride is made to sit on fan and then a relative of the bride carries her on his head to perform the ritual. Apart from this, use of winnowing fans to carry offering for prayers can be seen in many Indian religions. Like, during the festival of Chhath pooja, winnowing fans filled with offerings and prayer materials are carried on the head by the women.

In the modern era, the use of winnowing fans has drastically been reduced from agricultural and house hold sector. The inventions of winnowing machines with better efficiency are now easily available and more preferred by the farmers. Also availability of processed packed food materials has now limited the use of winnowing fans in modern Indian household.