A palanquin is a covered litter carried on four poles. The word derives from the Tamil for bed couch.; pallakku
Palanquins are mentioned in literature as early as the Ramayana (c. 250BC). During the 17-18th centuries they were very popular among European traders in Bengal, so much so that in 1758 an order was issued their purchase by certain lower-ranked employees.
Palanquins began to fall out of use after rickshaws were introduced in the 1930s.
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