According to Buddhist tradition, the charioteer who accompanied Siddhartha outside the palace was Channa.
Channa appears in traditional accounts of Siddhartha’s encounters with the Four Sights. He is described as the prince’s attendant and charioteer, accompanying him during journeys beyond the palace walls. In the stories, Channa explains the meaning of old age, sickness, death, and the ascetic whom Siddhartha sees.
Channa also plays a role in the Great Renunciation. Buddhist biographies say he helped Siddhartha leave the palace and took the horse Kanthaka with him. After Siddhartha became the Buddha, Channa is traditionally said to have joined the monastic community.
Channa is different from Ananda, who later served as the Buddha’s attendant, and from Kanthaka, who was Siddhartha’s horse. The spelling can vary in transliteration, including Channa and Chandaka.