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{{Short description|Creature seen in many Southern Indian temples}}
{{italic title}}


[[File:Ancient Yazhi Statue at Kurulikavu Temple.jpg|thumb|Yazhi/Yali statue ]]
{{Short description|Hindu mythological creature}}
 
[[File:01MaduraiMeenakshiAmmanTemple&IndoorCorridorView.jpg|thumb|Yali in pillars at Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple]]
[[File:01MaduraiMeenakshiAmmanTemple&IndoorCorridorView.jpg|thumb|Yali in pillars at Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple]]
[[Image:Yali pillars in mantapa of Rameshwara temple at Keladi.jpg|thumb|''Yali'' pillars, Rameshwara Temple, [[Keladi]], [[Shivamogga District]], Karnataka state, India]]
[[Image:Yali pillars in mantapa of Rameshwara temple at Keladi.jpg|thumb|Yali pillars, Rameshwara Temple, [[Keladi]], [[Shivamogga District]], Karnataka state, India]]
[[Image:Yali pillars1 in Aghoreshwara Temple in Ikkeri.jpg|thumb|Yali in Aghoreswara temple, [[Ikkeri]], Shivamogga district, Karnataka state, India]]
[[Image:Yali pillars1 in Aghoreshwara Temple in Ikkeri.jpg|thumb|Yali in Aghoreswara temple, [[Ikkeri]], Shivamogga district, Karnataka state, India]]


'''''Yali''''' is derived from '''Vyala''' or '''Vidala''' in [[Sanskrit]] is a mythical creature seen in many Indian temples, often sculpted onto the pillars. It may be portrayed as part lion, part elephant and part horse, and in similar shapes. Also, it has been sometimes described as a ''leogryph'' (part lion and part [[griffin]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?queryAll=People%2F!!%2FOR%2F!!%2F136610%2F!%2F136610-3-17%2F!%2FPurchased+from+F+Teltscher%2F!%2F%2F!!%2F%2F!!!%2F&objectId=223936&partId=1&numpages=10&orig=%2Fresearch%2Fsearch_the_collection_database.aspx&currentPage=1|title=Carved wood bracket – description|publisher=British Museum|access-date=13 December 2011}}</ref> with some bird-like features.
'''Yali''' ({{IAST3|Yāḷi}},<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dalal |first=Roshen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC&dq=yali+guardian+hindu&pg=PA470 |title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide |date=2010 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-341421-6 |pages=470 |language=en}}</ref> {{langx|ta|யாழி}}), also called '''Vyāla''' ({{langx|sa|व्याल}}),<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2021-08-31 |title=Figure 149. Yali [Sculptures in temples in Kumbakonam] |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/gallery/sculptures-in-temples-in-kumbakonam/2581 |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref> is a [[South India]]n mythological creature, portrayed with the head and the body of a lion, the trunk and the tusks of an elephant, and sometimes bearing equine features.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2021-11-07 |title=Yali, Yāḷi: 1 definition |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/yali |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref>  


Descriptions of and references to yalis are very old, but they became prominent in south Indian sculpture in the 16th century. Yalis were believed to be more powerful than the lion, the tiger or the elephant.
Images of the creature occur in many [[Dravidian architecture|South Indian temples]], often sculpted onto the pillars.<ref>{{Cite book |last=van der Geer |first=Alexandra Anna Enrica |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=oQ3quxh9gsgC&dq=yali+elephant&pg=PA223 |title=Animals in Stone: Indian Mammals Sculptured Through Time |date =2008 |publisher =BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-16819-0 |language =en}}</ref> There also exist variations of the creature, with it possessing the appendages of other beasts. It has sometimes been described as a ''leogryph'' (part-lion and part-[[griffin]]),<ref>{{cite web |url =https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?queryAll=People%2F!!%2FOR%2F!!%2F136610%2F!%2F136610-3-17%2F!%2FPurchased+from+F+Teltscher%2F!%2F%2F!!%2F%2F!!!%2F&objectId=223936&partId=1&numpages=10&orig=%2Fresearch%2Fsearch_the_collection_database.aspx&currentPage=1|title=Carved wood bracket – description|publisher =British Museum|access-date =13 December 2011}}</ref> with some bird-like features, with the trunk referred to as a [[proboscis]].<ref>{{Cite book |last =Walker |first =Benjamin |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=6zj3DwAAQBAJ&dq=yali+hinduism&pg=PA49 |title =Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. In Two Volumes. Volume I A-L |date =2019-04-09 |publisher =Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-62465-0 |pages=89 |language=en}}</ref>


==Iconography and image==
Karuna Sagar Behera writes of the '''''virala''''', or '''''vidala''''' ({{langx | sa | vyala}}) in terms of  a "mythical monster used [...] as a sculptural and architectural motif, the representation of vidala is of various types, e.g. ''gaja-vidala'', nara-vidala, etc."<ref>
In its iconography and image the yali has a catlike graceful body, but the head of a lion with tusks of an elephant ([[gaja]]) and tail of a serpent. Sometimes they have been shown standing on the back of a [[Makara (Hindu mythology)|makara]], another mythical creature and considered to be the [[Vahana]] of [[Budha]] (Mercury). Some images look like three-dimensional representation of yalis. Images or icons have been found on the entrance walls of the temples, and the graceful mythical lion is believed to protect and guard the temples and ways leading to the temple. They usually have the stylized body of a lion and the head of some other beast, most often an elephant (gaja-vyala).<ref>{{cite news|title=Sculptural fusion|url=http://www.hindu.com/mag/2007/01/21/stories/2007012100160500.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070128052712/http://www.hindu.com/mag/2007/01/21/stories/2007012100160500.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 January 2007|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=21 January 2007|location=Chennai, India}}</ref> Other common examples are: the lion-headed (simha-vyala), horse- (ashva-vyala), human- (nir-vyala) and the dog-headed (shvana-vyala) ones.<ref>[http://www.khandro.net/mysterious_vyali_mukha.htm Khandro - Yali & Mukha]</ref>
{{cite book
|author1              = Karuna Sagar Behera
|year                = 2005
|chapter              = Glossary
|title                = Konark - The Black Pagoda
|url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=aNuSDwAAQBAJ
|publication-place    = New Delhi
|publisher            = Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
|page                =
|isbn                = 9788123029979
|access-date          = 29 December 2024
}}
</ref>
 
==Iconography==
Descriptions of, and references to, yalis are ancient, but they became prominent in South Indian sculptures in the 16th century. Yalis were described to be more powerful than the lion, the tiger, or the elephant. In its iconography, the yali has a cat-like body, but the head of a lion with the tusks of an elephant ([[gaja]]), and the tail of a serpent. Sometimes, they have been shown standing on the back of a [[Makara (Hindu mythology)|makara]], another mythical creature and considered to be the [[vahana]] of [[Budha]] (Mercury). Some images look like three-dimensional representation of yalis. Images or icons have been found on the entrance walls of the temples, and the graceful mythical lion is believed to protect and guard the temples and ways leading to the temple. They usually have the stylised body of a lion and the head of some other beast, most often an elephant (gaja-vyala).<ref>{{cite news|title=Sculptural fusion|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=21 January 2007 |location=Chennai, India |url= http://www.hindu.com/mag/2007/01/21/stories/2007012100160500.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070128052712/http://www.hindu.com/mag/2007/01/21/stories/2007012100160500.htm}}</ref> Other common examples are: the lion-headed (simha-vyala), horse- (ashva-vyala), human- (nir-vyala) and the dog-headed (shvana-vyala) ones.<ref>[http://www.khandro.net/mysterious_vyali_mukha.htm Khandro - Yali & Mukha]</ref>
 
== Symbolism ==
{{Hindu mythology}}
The yali is said to be a guardian creature, protecting human beings both physically and spiritually. It is regarded to be a fearless beast, possessing supremacy over the animal world. It is also believed to be the symbolic representation of man's struggle with the elemental forces of nature. It is even depicted in emblem of Karnataka<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bane |first=Theresa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7PYWDAAAQBAJ&dq=yali+hindu+mythology&pg=PA340 |title=Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore |date=2016-05-22 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-2268-2 |pages=340 |language=en}}</ref>
 
==Literature==
Descriptions of the yali are featured in ancient [[Tamil literature]], dating back to the [[Sangam literature|Sangam]] era.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pillai |first=M. S. Purnalingam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QIeqvcai5XQC&dq=yali+sangam+literature&pg=PA87 |title=Tamil Literature |date=1994 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-0955-6 |pages=87 |language=en}}</ref>  


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Yali, from the neck of a Veena Saraswati (Musées de Dahlem Berlin) (3042092768).jpg|The Yali is often found on the neck of a modern [[Saraswati veena]].
File:Yali, from the neck of a Veena Saraswati (Musées de Dahlem Berlin) (3042092768).jpg|The Yali is often found on the neck of a modern [[Saraswati veena]].
File:Sculptures_in_New_Mandap.JPG|Yali in pillars of Puthu Mandapam, [[Madurai]], Tamil Nadu State, India
File:Sculptures in New Mandap.JPG|Yali in pillars of Puthu Mandapam, [[Madurai]], Tamil Nadu State, India
File: யாளி-திருவண்ணாமலை.jpg|Yali in Thiruvannamalai Annamalaiyar Temple, [[Tiruvannamalai]], Tamil Nadu State, India
File:யாளி-திருவண்ணாமலை.jpg|Yali in Thiruvannamalai Annamalaiyar Temple, [[Tiruvannamalai]], Tamil Nadu State, India
File:Yali pillars in a small open mantapa in the Vitthala temple complex in Hampi 2.JPG|''Yali'' pillars at Vittala temple at [[Hampi]], Karnataka state, India
File:Yali pillars in a small open mantapa in the Vitthala temple complex in Hampi 2.JPG|''Yali'' pillars at Vittala temple at [[Hampi]], Karnataka state, India
File:Entrance to Ananthasayana temple at Ananthasayanagudi.JPG|''Yali'' pillars at Ananthasayana temple, Ananthasayanagudi, Karnataka state, India
File:Entrance to Ananthasayana temple at Ananthasayanagudi.JPG|''Yali'' pillars at Ananthasayana temple, Ananthasayanagudi, Karnataka state, India
File:Carved pillar in the 16th century Thousnad-Pillared Hall, Meenakshi Temple, Madurai (2) (37259217170).jpg|Carved pillar in the 16th century [[Thousand Pillar Hall]], Meenakshi Temple, [[Madurai]]  
File:Carved pillar in the 16th century Thousnad-Pillared Hall, Meenakshi Temple, Madurai (2) (37259217170).jpg|Carved pillar in the 16th century [[Thousand Pillar Hall]], Meenakshi Temple, [[Madurai]]
File:Yali pillars in mantapa of Krishna temple in Hampi.JPG|''Yali'' pillars at Krishna temple at Hampi, Karnataka state, India
File:Yali pillars in mantapa of Krishna temple in Hampi.JPG|''Yali'' pillars at Krishna temple at Hampi, Karnataka state, India
File:Yali pillars3 at Bhoganandishvara group of temples, Chikkaballapur district.jpg|Yali pillars at Bhoganandishvara temple in Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka state, India
File:Yali pillars3 at Bhoganandishvara group of temples, Chikkaballapur district.jpg|Yali pillars at Bhoganandishvara temple in Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka state, India
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==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of mythical creatures]]
* [[Gandaberunda]]
* [[Prathyangira]]
* [[Nawarupa]]
* [[Sharabha]] or 'Sarabeswara'
* [[Prathyangira|Pratyangira]]
* [[Sharabha]]
* [[Gajasimha]]
* [[Gajasimha]]


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* [http://www.asianart.com/exhibitions/nies02/13.html Asian art - Yali, Sri Lanka]
* [http://www.asianart.com/exhibitions/nies02/13.html Asian art - Yali, Sri Lanka]


{{HinduMythology}}
[[Category:Legendary creatures in Hindu mythology]]
 
[[Category:Hindu legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Mythological hybrids]]
[[Category:Mythological hybrids]]
[[Category:Mythological lions]]
[[Category:Mythological elephants]]
[[Category:Mythological horses]]

Latest revision as of 21:29, 3 October 2025


Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Yali in pillars at Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Yali pillars, Rameshwara Temple, Keladi, Shivamogga District, Karnataka state, India
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Yali in Aghoreswara temple, Ikkeri, Shivamogga district, Karnataka state, India

Yali (IAST: Yāḷi,[1] Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.), also called Vyāla (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.),[2] is a South Indian mythological creature, portrayed with the head and the body of a lion, the trunk and the tusks of an elephant, and sometimes bearing equine features.[3]

Images of the creature occur in many South Indian temples, often sculpted onto the pillars.[4] There also exist variations of the creature, with it possessing the appendages of other beasts. It has sometimes been described as a leogryph (part-lion and part-griffin),[5] with some bird-like features, with the trunk referred to as a proboscis.[6]

Karuna Sagar Behera writes of the virala, or vidala (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.) in terms of a "mythical monster used [...] as a sculptural and architectural motif, the representation of vidala is of various types, e.g. gaja-vidala, nara-vidala, etc."[7]

Iconography[edit | edit source]

Descriptions of, and references to, yalis are ancient, but they became prominent in South Indian sculptures in the 16th century. Yalis were described to be more powerful than the lion, the tiger, or the elephant. In its iconography, the yali has a cat-like body, but the head of a lion with the tusks of an elephant (gaja), and the tail of a serpent. Sometimes, they have been shown standing on the back of a makara, another mythical creature and considered to be the vahana of Budha (Mercury). Some images look like three-dimensional representation of yalis. Images or icons have been found on the entrance walls of the temples, and the graceful mythical lion is believed to protect and guard the temples and ways leading to the temple. They usually have the stylised body of a lion and the head of some other beast, most often an elephant (gaja-vyala).[8] Other common examples are: the lion-headed (simha-vyala), horse- (ashva-vyala), human- (nir-vyala) and the dog-headed (shvana-vyala) ones.[9]

Symbolism[edit | edit source]

Template:Hindu mythology The yali is said to be a guardian creature, protecting human beings both physically and spiritually. It is regarded to be a fearless beast, possessing supremacy over the animal world. It is also believed to be the symbolic representation of man's struggle with the elemental forces of nature. It is even depicted in emblem of Karnataka[10]

Literature[edit | edit source]

Descriptions of the yali are featured in ancient Tamil literature, dating back to the Sangam era.[11]

Gallery[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  • Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dallapiccola
  1. ↑ Dalal, Roshen (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books India. p. 470. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
  2. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2021-08-31). "Figure 149. Yali [Sculptures in temples in Kumbakonam]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  3. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2021-11-07). "Yali, Yāḷi: 1 definition". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  4. ↑ van der Geer, Alexandra Anna Enrica (2008). Animals in Stone: Indian Mammals Sculptured Through Time. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-16819-0.
  5. ↑ "Carved wood bracket – description". British Museum. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  6. ↑ Walker, Benjamin (2019-04-09). Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. In Two Volumes. Volume I A-L. Routledge. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-429-62465-0.
  7. ↑ Karuna Sagar Behera (2005). "Glossary". Konark - The Black Pagoda. New Delhi: Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. ISBN 9788123029979. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  8. ↑ "Sculptural fusion". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 21 January 2007. Archived from the original on 28 January 2007.
  9. ↑ Khandro - Yali & Mukha
  10. ↑ Bane, Theresa (2016-05-22). Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. McFarland. p. 340. ISBN 978-1-4766-2268-2.
  11. ↑ Pillai, M. S. Purnalingam (1994). Tamil Literature. Asian Educational Services. p. 87. ISBN 978-81-206-0955-6.

External links[edit | edit source]

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