Wooden yali temple lamp stand

Temple lamp-stand on a pedestal with supports in the form of animal paws. The lamp post, raised on an elephant, takes the yali shape in the middle and ends with a flat top. Yali is a mythical creature seen in many Hindu temples. It is usually portrayed as part lion, part elephant, or part horse and sometimes has bird-like features. Their presence is supposed to be protective for the temple. They are also called vyala.