The Wanderer's memoirs: Yali, the protector

While traveling one often comes across something that intrigues, lingers on and sometimes, even haunts. Last year, I visited the 'Great Living Chola Temples' of Tanjore (also referred as Thanjavur) and Kumbhakonam where I encountered these daunting creatures considered to be protectors of the temples of the God. They were everywhere. At the steps leading up to the temples, they sat crouched, alert and ready. On the ceilings, they perched, lined up, keeping a vigilant eye. Sometimes, on the pillars they stood proud looking down with a forbidding stare. They possessed a half lion, half elephant body.

Few months later in Singapore, walking down Armenian street, I saw a very similar sculpture of a creature sitting poised outside the Hock Teik Cheng Sin Chinese temple. In due course of my almost three month stay in Singapore, I came across the Yali in all the Chinese temples I visited. I was so intrigued by the presence of the same mythological creature across cultures, across religions.

Above: Yali at the Brihadeeswara temple at Tanjore, India. (pic credits: Ankush Samant)
Below: Yali outside the Hock Teik Cheng Sin Chinese temple

The Yali (pronounced as Yaali in Tamil Nadu) in the Hindu Mythology is protector of God and is usually seen in South Indian temples built by Pandavas, Cholas. The epic, Mahabharatha states Yali to be the vahana of Budh (Child of Chandra) It is also similar to Makara who is the vahana of Ganga). Hindu mythology records high regards of these liminal creatures. Makara is a more visible form in Hinduism and Buddhism.

'Makara' above a gopuram in Ramaswamy temple in Kumbhakonam built in 16th century during Nayaka rule

Here is an example where the Yali and Makara have been Juxtaposed (probably as protectors) at the base of a cave temple in Narttamalai belonging to the Pallava dynasty. (ca. seventh-eighth centuries CE, 600 CE - 799 CE). There is a very interesting pattern that emerges out,the Lion itself, represented in different art forms and a combination of a Lion and one or more creature (with a Man, Woman, Bird, Elephant, others which are represented as Narasimha, Yali, Sphinx, Manussiha, Purushamriga,
Norasingh).

Protectors outside Vittala temple, Hampi, built in 15th century AD during Vijayanagara empire

The lion is not indigenous to China, but Asiatic lions were found in neighboring India, as well as western Tibet. These Asiatic lions found in Indian temples are the models for those depicted in Chinese art. Buddhist priests, or possibly traders, brought descriptions of sculpted lions guarding the entry to temples to China. Chinese sculptors then used the description to model "Fo-Lions" (Fo 佛 being Chinese for Buddha) temple statues after native dogs (possibly the Tibetan Mastiff) by adding a shaggy mane. Depictions of these "Fo-lions" have been found in Chinese religious art as early as 208 BC.

Sera Mey Budhdhist monastery in Bylakuppe, Karnataka

In Buddhism, the union of opposites (mithun gyulgyal) is an interesting group of symbols. These mythological beings are joined rival pairs of animals created to symbolize harmony. A snow lion and a garuda, normally mortal enemies, are combined to form an animial with a snow lion’s body and a garuda’s head and wings. These composed creatures are often put on victory banners for the reconciliation of disharmony and disagreement.