Leogryph (Vyala/Yali)

Description

A leogryph is a fantastical creature- mixing parts of the lion and the mythical griffin together. What one finds here is a different motif- an admixture of the lion, elephant and horse- termed the vyala or the yali. This example from 1the 3th century is a side-facing horse vyala, with detail in the crown, jewellery and physique. The level of carving also details a human-like torso, which is fully caparisoned, while one also finds clawed limbs. A smaller lion-like figure is also present below the raised foot of the vyala towards the bottom. While this depiction varies from the more prominent depictions in later temple architecture from further south, especially during the Vijayanagara period, this also offers an insight into shared architectural and artistic motifs across regions, basing off of similar mythologies.