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.