The Colas c36.108

c36.108

Fig. 88. *Śuruḷ yāḷi* on the balustrade, in the temple at Tribhuvanam, Tanjore District. The animal is a composite one, with a lion’s body and head and with an elephant’s trunk which forms the wavy balustrade. The combination of two animals into one shows the development of a motif from period to period. In the previous example the powerful lion symbol of royalty is represented as attacking an elephant whose trunk was required to serve as the balustrade. The sculptor here has dispensed with the elephant’s body, but has retained its trunk only to which is added the lion’s body which is dominating in the Dārāśuram example. This device indicates the desire on the part of workmen to economise labour and time to which the kings of this period also gave their assent. The incongruous nature of the combination of the two animals and the tameness of the lion are proof positive for the weakening of the royal power and for the consequent deterioration of art and culture from now on.