Subhash Chandra, the highest ranking bureaucrat in the Uttar Pradesh government department looking after law and order, said he had no information of a "lathi" (bamboo cane) charge by police to control the crowd.

WSJ: Indian Authorities Blame Crowds for Stampede

At four, I went down a slide sucking on a bamboo garden cane, which hit the ground before I did.

NPR: Excerpt: 'The Importance of Music to Girls'

Elephant polo, played primarily in countries like India, Nepal and Thailand, follows similar rules as the traditional sport, though the pitch (or field) is a bit smaller, players wield longer mallets made from cane or bamboo and two people ride the elephant: the player and the mahout who steers the animal.

BBC: Polo-playing elephants in Nepal