A Yazhi or Yali (Pronounced yA lee and unrelated to the Navajo name) is a mythical animal that is a chimera of a lion, elephant and a snake. They could have a lion face, its paws (and claws) and tail, fangs of a snake, body, hind legs and trunk of an elephant.

Sometimes referred to as Vyalas, they are known for their ferociousness, speed, and strength. It possesses the male aggression and masculinity of the Lion, grace of the snake and intelligence of an elephant. As a transmutated animal, a yazhi is said to be stronger than a lion or an elephant combined and for this reason it was used as a mount during wars. In this era of gene modification, it makes me wonder if the yazhis were created as a fighting force or did such creatures naturally exist? And more importantly, did they actually exist and over a period of time become extinct.

Yazhis

Though there are many forms of Yazhis (The base animal that they were created from), three are very common.  Simma or Lion yazhi (சிம்ம யாளி), Makara or Capricorn (மகர யாளி) and finally Yannai or Elephant Yazhi( யானை யாளி). 

Sculptures of the Yazhi are positioned on both sides of the entrance way to temples, shrines, and temple cars (chariots) to drive away evil. They are sometimes referred to as the protectors of the temple and its lands. 

Yali figures are considered to be a type of grotesque sculpture, meant to inspire fear and awe, and have iconographies similar to other composite mythological creatures, such as the hippogryph and sphinx of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. They are also associated with the mythical griffin. In northern India, yalis are common in the gajasimha (Sanskrit for “elephant-lion”) motif, depicting a fight between a lion and an elephant, showing the lion in a victorious pose.

Yali figures are believed to act as guardians and protectors, shielding a temple from threats. The tame form of the yali, typically shown flanking short stairways attached to temple plinths with waterfalls emerging from their open mouth, is known as the surul-yali. Yalis were also considered divine vehicles for deities, and were used to signify heroism and the elemental forces of nature, tamed and controlled by being incorporated into architecture and sculpture.

Yali figures are found at numerous cave and structural temples across India, including but not limited to the Tiger Cave at Saluvankuppam, the Airavateshvara temple at Dasarum, the Minakshi-Sundareshvara temple at Madurai, the Virupaksha temple at Hampi, Karnataka, the Kailasanatha Temple at Ellora and the Sun Temple at Konark.

Hear the First Song Recorded on the Yazh, a 2,000 Year-Old Indian Instrument

In ancient Hindu mythology, the Yali appears as a chimera, part lion, part horse, part elephant. It was carved into stone pillars to guard temples, and its form adorned an instrument called the yazh, whose sound “once filled the halls and temples of southern India,” Livia Gershon writes at Smithsonian. “Over time, however, the Tamil musical tradition all but vanished,” along with the royalty who filled those ancient halls.

“A distant cousin of the harp,” notes Atlas Obscura, the yazh was said to make “the sweetest sound,” but it’s a sound no one has heard until now. By studying ancient literary references, luthier Tharun Sekar was able to recreate the instrument, taking “some liberties with the design,” Gershon writes, like “replacing jackfruit with red cedar,” a lighter wood, and replacing the traditional Yali with a peacock.

References to the yazh go back around 2,000 years in Tamil literature from the time known as the Sangam, the earliest period of South Indian history, typically dated between 600 BCE to 300 CE., when the yazh had its heyday. Carved from a single block of wood and strung with either 7 or 14 strings, each modern yazh takes Sekar about six months to complete. He’s been building them in his Chennai workshop since 2019.

Sekar tells Atlas Obscura how he chose the yazh as the first instrument for his company Uru, which specializes in redesigning folk instruments: “Today, while there are replicas of the yazh available in museums, they are neither original nor playable. I wasn’t also able to find any recorded sound samples or videos of the instrument. So, this created a curiosity in me.”

Now, there is both a song and video, “the world’s first,” Sekar tells DT Next, in the form of “Azhagi,” above. A collaboration between Sekar, rapper Syan Saheer, and singer Sivasubramanian, who wrote the song about “a girl with superpowers from the Sangam era,” Sekar says. “We thought the context was very much relatable to yazh.” The only instrument in the song is the yazh, and Sekar hopes the video will begin to popularize the instrument. He’s already started receiving orders from interested musicians from around the world.

Learn more how Sekar creates a yazh in his workshop, and how he learned to recreate sounds no one could record 2,000 years ago, in his interview at Atlas Obscura.

How did Tharun Sekar transition from building guitars to crafting ancient Indian instruments

During my time in Auroville, I wondered why I was only making Western instruments. I realized that Western instruments, like the guitar, were everywhere. If students wanted to learn music, the first thought they’d have was to pick up a guitar or play the drums. They wouldn’t even think of playing an Indian instrument. This was something that bothered me.

The guitar, which only has a history of 500 years, continues to remain popular due to gradual design changes made to it every decade. Hundreds of luthiers work on the instrument, trying out something new to keep the form modern for younger generations. I thought I should do the same with Indian instruments. This is why I started Uru, a company where we redesign folk instruments.

The beauty about this instrument is that it was once played in temples and in royal courts, as well as among panars, who were an ancient community of musicians. There are Tamil scriptures and literary works written during the Sangam period, sixth century B.C. to the third century, that mention the yazh. Yet, it disappeared. Today, while there are replicas of the yazh available in museums, they are neither original nor playable. I wasn’t also able to find any recorded sound samples or videos of the instrument. So, this created a curiosity in me.

What was your research process?

The first thing I did was collect research documents about the instrument. If you read the Sangam era literature, they exaggerate about it. For instance, it was said that the yazh produced the sweetest sound mankind had ever heard. However, I could not find any factual information, in terms of the length of the strings, or the structure’s accurate dimensions. There were no illustrations accompanying the text either.

Eventually, I found the Yazh Nool, written by Swami Vipulananda in 1947, which is the only proper research book available on the instrument. The book has detailed information on music theory, how the strings were aligned and musical notations that helped to recreate the sound accurately.

What other ancient instruments are you bringing back?

The panchamukha vadyam, or the five-faced drum, which belonged to the Chola dynasty period, from the ninth through 13th centuries. It’s a percussion instrument that has five hollow tunnels with skin attached to it. The body was made of bronze and weighed around 200 kilos (440 pounds). Today, the only original piece exists in a temple in Tiruvarur.

Traditionally, the makers used deer skin. However, since that is not possible now, I’ll be using goat hide instead, and the body will be made using clay to reduce the weight. Right now, I have only built a prototype. However, I’m thinking of going to Tiruvarur and studying the instrument properly, before I begin redesigning it.

I’m interested in making different instruments from around the world, because I want to study different sounds. I recently made the cajón (a Peruvian percussion instrument), which took two months to build. I also want to craft the Mongolian morin khurr (also known as a horsehead fiddle) and have started researching it. However, part of my process includes hearing stories from local people, which gives me a better understanding of the instrument. Due to the pandemic, this is not currently possible. So, I thought that it might be better to focus on the instruments we have in my part of the world at the moment.

References:

openculture.com
atlasobscura.com