Elephant specialist

Elephants were under the care of ministers designated as ‘Gajaadhyaksha’ or ‘Gajaadhikaari’ and he employed veterinary-specialist doctors proficient in taking total health care of elephants. Such a vaidya was known as “Gajakarma-kovida” or “Gaja Vaidya”. Every elephant had a person called- mahut who would be employed to take care of the daily requirements of his elephant Elephants were either tamed after being caught from wilderness or domesticated and were paraded as part of the princely property or as a symbol of royal wealth. Elephant polo was a popular game, elephants were also trained to carry the guardian deity of the royal house and employing elephants in army was in vogue from many centuries and this demanded or necessitated the development of Hastiayurveda.
Like all branches of Ayurveda this knowledge was also passed from an experienced teacher to a capable and dedicated aspirant. A student aspiring to become a ‘Gaja Vaidya’, was expected to have these qualities i.e., bereft of lust and anger, brilliant, capable, courageous but courteous, kind, dedicated and diligent. The qualities mentioned were either inherited or acquired and cultivated.
As an army couldn’t be thought of without elephants and horses, it became necessary to study the medical and surgical management of battle-inflicted wounds in these faithful gentle animals. So started the study of elephant Ayurveda, which not only dealt with military medicine of elephants but also about all other health aspects of elephants.

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