Yakshi under a flowering asoka tree. Shunga, 2nd–1st century BC, India The three sites of Bharhut, Sanchi, and Mathura, have yielded huge numbers of Yakshi figures, most commonly on the railing pillars of stupas. These show a clear development and progression that establishes certain characteristics of the Yakshi figure such as her nudity, smiling face and evident (often exaggerated ...
Mythological figures often represented visually in a pair, the yaksha and yakshi are found across early Buddhist, Jain and Hindu art.
Mythological figures often represented visually in a pair, the yaksha and yakshi are found across early Buddhist, Jain and Hindu art. Yakshas are male figures, and yakshis are their female counterparts. They were believed to be spirits that inhabited trees, mountains, rock mounds, rivers, and oceans. Their prevalence in sculpture, usually in association with natural elements, is considered a ...
Yakshi figures are sometimes depicted standing on top of grotesque, dwarf-like figures, as seen in the Kushan period Bhuteshwar yakshi reliefs. Though yakshas and yakshis faded in popular Buddhism and Hinduism in the mid-first millennium CE, they were propitiated in some Tantric Buddhist rituals as the fulfillers of wishes.
Bestselling author of India's Most Haunted, K. Hari Kumar explains the concept of Yakshi from South Indian folklore.
In the vibrant world of Hindu lore, Yakshis, captivating and enigmatic, embody nature's allure and supernatural complexity.
Explore the Yakshi from Kerala—an alluring yet terrifying spirit rooted in Indian folklore. Discover her legends and modern cultural impact.
A seated Yakshi discovered at Jhing-ka-Nagra near Mathura, worshipped as Manasadevi. Another seated Yaksha in the Allahabad Municipal Museum depicted with fierce features, holding a cup and hurling down a pig. Bhita Colossal Sculpture: Colossal sculpture from Bhita in the Lucknow Museum depicts two figures standing back-to-back.