chowpaul

English

chowpaul (plural chowpauls)

(chiefly historical) A kind of open Indian litter whose support pole is curved in a wide arch over the bed.
- 1811, François Balthazar Solvyns, Les Hindoûs, Vol. III, Section 8, No. 2:
  ... the Chowpaul is the most ancient, and, as it were, the original from which all the other forms of palanquin may be traced; on this account it is used in all great ceremonies, marriages, processions, etc. The Chowpaul is simply a very light bed or sofa, over which a large bambou forms an arch. But as this is not a sufficient defence against the sun, it is always attended by a servant carrying a chata or parasol.
- 1915, Bengal Past & Present, volume 11, page 57:
  With these beams and door and window frames send me... 10 chowpaul timbers the largest and the best you can get.