The word mahout comes from the Hindi words mahaut and mahavat, derivatives of the Sanskrit word mahamatra, meaning „[one] having great measure”. In India especially Kerala, mahout use three types of device to control elephants: Thotti (hook) which is 3.5 feet in length and 3 inches thick, Valiya kol (long pole) which is 10.5 feet in length and 5.5 inches in thickness and cheru kol (short pole). But as you can see in the picture here, the man’s care and love is better than any device.
„Watching a mahout lovingly bathe his elephant, I tried capturing the moment from the riverside but wasn’t satisfied with what I saw through the viewfinder. There was something lacking that made the image not do justice to the scene. I then climbed a tree with a branch extending out over the water and got my shot, which may have been my last as I almost fell off after taking it. I’m sure the beautiful elephant would not have been very happy about me falling out of a tree straight onto her stomach!” / Caption by Mohit Midha