howdah

noun

Etymology: From Hindi हौदा (haudā), from Arabic هَوْدَج (hawdaj, “litter carried by a camel”) (1774).

1. A seat, usually with a canopy, carried on the back of an elephant or camel.

   “They don't ask for palanquins and howdahs.”

   “I shot a couple […] Only from the safety of a howdah, of course.”

2. An ornate carriage which is positioned on the back of elephants or occasionally other animals, used most often in the past for rich people who travelled in India via elephant.