: ) is a knife or dagger from western India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. It is commonly called a gandasa, or axe-knife, because the blade is fixed onto an axe-like haft. The weapon takes its name from the city of Bhuj

Bhuj

Bhuj is a city and a municipality in Kachchh district in the state of Gujarat, India.-History:It was established by Rao Hamirji in 1510 and was made the state capital by Rao Khengarji I in 1549. Its foundation stone as state capital laid formally on Vikram Samvat 1604 Maagha 5th...

 in the Kachchh district of the state of Gujarat, where it originated. The bhuj is short, broad, stout, and heavy, with a mild curve. It often sports an engraved and gilded mount, inlaid haft and decorated knob. This knob is typically a stylized elephant

Elephant

Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...

 head, giving the weapon the nickname elephant knife. The short recurved blade measures 7-10 inches long, and its copper sheath makes the weapon 20 inches long in total. It is mostly single-edged, except for a slight rear edge at the tip. The blade is mounted at a right angle to a metal haft in a manner similar to a parashu or axe. The haft is usually hollow and conceals another small stiletto-like dagger.

Sources

• The complete encyclopedia of arms and weapons, Edited by Leonid Tarassuk and Claude Blair, Bonanza books (Crown)