Indian Portable Spinning Wheel

A rather inconspicuous wooden box measuring 30 x 20 x 10 centimetres can be found in the textile section of the Deutsches Technikmuseum. Inside it you can see two wooden wheels and a spindle. This is what is called a “charkha”, a small, hand-operated spinning wheel on which cotton yarn can be spun for household use.

In order to operate this spinning wheel, the large drive wheel needs to be connected to the accelerator wheel by means of a band. The spindle is affixed to a holder or a box frame and is connected to the accelerator wheel with another band. The drive wheel is turned with the right hand and this starts the spindle spinning while the left hand feeds the fibre material to the spindle.