Yali (mythology)

Sculpture of a Yali's head, Warangal
Yali in pillars at Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple
Yali pillars, Rameshwara Temple, Keladi, Shivamogga District, Karnataka state, India
Yali in Aghoreswara temple, Ikkeri, Shivamogga district, Karnataka state, India

Yali (IAST: Yāḻi),[1] (Tamil: யாழி) also called Vyala,[2] is a Hindu 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]

The creature is represented 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]

  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. ^ Geer, Alexandra Anna Enrica van der (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.