Most of us love visiting ancient temples, admiring their grandeur, carvings, and spiritual aura. Yet, we often overlook the intricate sculptures etched on the walls, pillars, and entrances. Among these fascinating works of art is a mythical creature known as the Yali. Usually depicted with the body and head of a lion, combined with the trunk and tusks of an elephant, the Yali stands out as one of the most unique symbols in temple architecture. More than just artistic imagination, the Yali is revered as a guardian figure and a symbol of immense strength, believed to protect the sacred space from negative forces.
Yali: The Mythical Guardian Beast
Yali is a legendary composite beast deeply rooted in South Indian Hindu traditions. It is often depicted in diverse forms, usually as a fusion of the lion’s head and body with the elephant’s trunk and tusks. Over time, artists and sculptors created different variations of this mythical creature:
- Simha Yali – with a lion face
- Gaja Yali – with an elephant face
- Makara Yali – with the face of a sea creature
Sometimes, yalis even carry additional features such as a serpent’s tail or the foreparts of a horse. By tradition, the yali is considered more powerful than any real animal, symbolizing the awe-inspiring forces of nature and humanity’s challenge to control them.
Symbolism and Spiritual Significance
In Hindu temple art, the yali is revered as a guardian figure and a symbol of strength. It is traditionally believed to be a fearless protector, endowed with supremacy over the animal world. Sculptors place yalis at temple entrances, stairways, and pillar bases to ward off evil and protect the sacred precincts.
Its amalgamated anatomy—lion’s courage, elephant’s might, horse’s speed, and serpent’s vigilance, represents the triumph of divine or human will over chaos and elemental forces.
Historical Evolution in Temple Architecture
Yali motifs appear in inscriptions and sculptures from the early medieval period, but they gained artistic prominence during the Chola–Pallava era (7th–8th centuries CE). Early examples from the Pallava period show squat yali figures at the base of temple columns or stair balustrades, often paired with the makara.
The form became widespread in the Vijayanagara and Nayaka eras (15th–18th centuries). In South India’s late-medieval temples, yalis were carved on nearly every architectural element—pillars, mandapa brackets, gopuram niches, and stairways.
Yali pillars often stand 2–3 meters tall, with bulging eyes and gaping mouths, sometimes carrying a royal or divine rider holding a weapon. Some colossal yalis even support the weight of entire pillared halls. By breaking the monotony of straight columns with fierce, animate forms, yalis mark the transition from the secular to the sacred—an iconic hallmark of Dravidian architecture.
By the 16th century, they had become essential motifs. Towering yali pillars and brackets, such as those at the Vittala Temple in Hampi, illustrate their role as fierce protectors of temple complexes.
Theories and Interpretations
The yali also appears in India’s literary and folk traditions. References to leonine monsters resembling yalis occur in early Tamil Sangam poetry, where the archaic Tamil word aali refers to a lion-like monster that hunted elephants with its sharp claws and dragged them with immense force.
In some temples, yalis are depicted larger than elephants, often shown overpowering them, symbolizing their might. Some sculptures even portray kings or warriors riding yalis into battle, suggesting that they were imagined as war beasts controlled by ancient rulers.
The Surul Yali (or “creeping yali”) is a unique South Indian variant, often found at plinth staircases. It is usually shown in a horizontal posture, spouting water from its mouth to symbolize purification.
Tamil literary traditions also hint at the possible existence of giant lion-like creatures, larger than elephants, which might have been protected or revered by ancient people. These beliefs gave rise to theories about the Yali’s origins. Regional variations also exist—for example, Sri Lankan yalis, often found in low relief, exhibit a more archaic carving style compared to the Indian examples.
Iconic Temple Depictions
- The 16th-century Thousand Pillar Hall at Madurai’s Meenakshi Temple features richly carved yali pillars, each displaying unique postures and expressions.
- The Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur houses a monumental yali relief that merges the heads and bodies of a lion, elephant, and horse into one awe-inspiring beast.
- Yalis are frequently depicted clamping an elephant’s trunk in their paws, symbolizing the lion’s supremacy over the elephant.
- In southern temples, the tame Surul Yali often lines stairways, exhaling water from its open mouth to sanctify pilgrims as they ascend.
The Yali remains an imaginary and mythological creature. Some traditions suggest that it might have once lived in ancient times, with people adapting to its presence. However, there is no scientific evidence or fossil record to support this belief. Some theories claim that the Yali appeared after the age of dinosaurs, but archaeological research has not discovered any remains to confirm it.
Another fascinating theory connects the Yali to Kumari Kandam, the mythical lost continent. It is said that the Yali might have lived there and vanished when Kumari Kandam sank into the sea, ending its supposed existence in natural evolution.
Today, the Yali is regarded primarily as an artistic and symbolic creation of ancient sculptors—a fusion of natural forces embodied in a single form. Whether portrayed as a guardian at temple gates, sanctifying pilgrims with water symbolism, or overpowering mighty elephants, the Yali continues to inspire awe as a timeless emblem of strength, vigilance, and spiritual protection.
