Want to lower unemployment?
Keep your boots dry?
Then why not bring back the palanquin:
That's the Emperor Muhammad Shah being carried in a palanquin by Ladies. ca. 1735, Collection Kasturbhai Lalbhai, Ahmedabad.
Actually, a covered palanquin might be even nicer, though it looks rather hard work to carry:
Still, think of how much quieter, more carbon-free, and less, well, rushing, the rush hour would be if we took palanquins instead of the taxis.
The main pleasure, though, it would be being able to use a simply beautiful word.
Word To Use Today: palanquin. There is another form, palankeen, but that's not as lovely. Both words comes from the Portuguese palanquim, from the Prakrit pallanka, from the Sanskrit paryanka, which means couch.
The second palanquin looks unbalanced. I'd never ride in it.
ReplyDeleteI thought so, too, Anonymous. But then I looked at the way the bearers are holding the poles, and I've realised the poles can't roll either way without taking two of the bearers' heads off.
DeleteI must say I don't fancy it much, either, though. Apart from the strain on the poor bearers, I think I'd get seasick.