The Vyāla or Yāli in medieval South Indian temple art

Record summary

Vyālas, commonly called yāḷis in South Indian art history, are leonine or elephantine composite creatures carved on pillars, gateways and temple structures. Important examples occur at sites such as Chola, Vijayanagara and Nayaka monuments. This is a verifiable material-culture lead for studying how recurring creature forms acquire regional anatomy, protective functions and later folkloric identities. The sculptures do not document an unknown animal; they belong to architectural and religious visual programs. Terminology varies, and not every creature labeled “yāli” represents the same iconographic type.