punka

A fan used especially in India, made of a palm frond or strip of cloth hung from the ceiling and moved by a servant.

In the East Indies, a fan of any kind; specifically, a swinging screen consisting of cloth stretched on a rectangular frame, hung from the ceiling and kept in motion by a servant, or in some cases by machinery, by means of which the air of an apartment is agitated.

A machine for fanning a room, usually a movable fanlike frame covered with canvas, and suspended from the ceiling. It is kept in motion by pulling a cord.

Alternative spelling of punkah.