Palkee - Chaturdola Agency

A few words on Palanquin / Palkee / Doli

	Palanquin is an ancient vehicle. the word ‘Palkee`came from the word ‘Palanki". The Portuguese called it ‘Palan queem`.the Britishers called it 'Palan queen'. In Bengali it is
‘Palkee’ .

It is not truly known that when the palanquin as vehicle was used first. Probably from the middle of the fifteenth century the existence of palanquin is found. In the Mughal period with the use of ‘Borkha" the members of the Muslim families use Palanquin. In the age of ‘ Baro Bhuiya’ the palanquin was used.

It has taken many years for the palanquin to set present form. At first the form of palanquin was different. Gradually in the following decades the palanquin has taken new form. Hence it has present form. Long ago before the emergence of Calcutta Palanquin was used in Bengal. Job Charnok established Kolkata. Then he moved from place to place on business of on other purpose by palanquin. During that period, the Royal families and the aristocratic families primarily used palanquin.

The Britishers felt panicky to ride the in palanquin first. In many case and in many times, some of them fell down form palanquin and got away. The Babus of kolkata used palanquin to maintain their tradition. Many of them

in their house maintained twenty or thirty palanquins. some palanquins were used for going to the court of Zamindari, some belonged to the female members and some for moving leisurely in the open air. then about a hundred palanquin-bearers were engaged on wage basis. Those bearers belonged to the people of Orissa. Some palanquins were carried by six bearers and some by four. Bearers chanted different tunes or words while carrying the palanquins.

In the time of East India Company the horse driven Vehicle were the symbols of their luxury. Palanquin was used as vehicle for daily work. In many places of Kolkata, palanquin-stand was built. Distance and time determined the fare. In the evening Share-palanquin or personal palanquin was used on the bank of the Ganges, in the Eden Garden and in ‘Garer Math’. Not only

palanquin but also ‘Fitton-car’ was used . In the days of Welesly and Cornwalis elephants were used by the Europeans and the aristocrats of this century as vehicle for breathing free air. the statistic says that in 1839 in Kolkata and its adjoining areas 2,875 hired palanquin and 11,500 hired bearers were available. there the palanquins were driven by the people of Orissa. Today buses, taxis participate in strike. Similarly in 1827 12000 palanquin-bearers of Orissa-Community participated in a strike against the unjust orders of the Police authority. To cheer this problem the Bihari - bearers gradually took the job bearing palanquins.

Western countries are more advanced than India. One statistics say that in 1800 in Paris bus driven by steam engine was first seen. In London it was used in 1830. During that period in Kolkata Palanquin was being used with much pride. From 1757 to 1909 the palanquin maintained its existence fighting with machine-giant tram driven by electricity . It is undeniable that the first vehicle of Kolkata is palanquin.