A bandy (sometimes spelled bandi, bamdi or vandi) is a cart used in India and Sri Lanka. It is constructed as a platform between two wheels, without any springs or suspension. It is usually yoked to a pair of oxen, though occasionally just one, or harnessed to small horses. The name is derived from Tamil: vandi and Telugu: bandi, meaning cart. The word continues to be used for almost any simple conveyance in India pulled by a draft animal, including those constructed with rubber automotive tires and those having sides or canopies. The driver, a bandyman, usually sits at the front of the cart straddling the yoke pole.[1][2][3]
In May 1809, the ship HMS Fox brought into Madras her prize, Caravan, which was carrying "...carriages and bandis."[4]
Basic bandy
Arranged to contain a load
A bandy heavily loaded with timber
Closeup of yoking style; note also the rough-hewn solid disc wheels
A modern bandy; note the bandyman is sitting on the yoke pole
^Yule, Henry; Burnell, Arthur Coke (1996) [1886]. Hobson-Jobson: The Anglo-Indian Dictionary. Wordsworth Editions. p. 59. ISBN185326363X. OL21951512M.
^Berkebile, Donald H. (1978). Carriage Terminology: An Historical Dictionary. Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press. p. 25. ISBN9781935623434. OL33342342M.
^Smith, D.J.M. (1988). A Dictionary of Horse Drawn Vehicles. J. A. Allen & Co. Ltd. p. 11. ISBN0851314686. OL11597864M.
^The Asiatic Annual Register Or a View of the History of Hindustan ..., Volume 11 (June 1809), p.103.