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Who are the nagas and yakshas shown in South Asian sculpture?

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Watch and hear a person playing the mridangam drum of the Carnatic music tradition — South Asian arts The *mridangam*, the principal drum of the Carnatic music tradition.

In South Asian sculpture, yakshas and nagas are significant mythical figures that predate many formal religious icons and have long served as symbols of nature, fertility, and protection.12

Yakshas

Yakshas are a class of nature spirits in Indian mythology, often depicted as custodians of treasures hidden in the earth or tree roots. In sculpture, they are typically represented as powerful, earthy figures—often corpulent or potbellied—presiding over the productive processes of nature.12
* Role: They were among the earliest deities to be depicted in South Asian art, influencing the later representation of Buddhist and Brahmanical deities.1
* Function: They often appear as atlantes (supporting figures) on temple gateways or as tutelary deities of specific locations. Famous examples include the colossal figures from Mathura and the potbellied dwarf from Pitalkhora.12

Nagas

Nagas are semidivine beings associated with water—such as rivers, lakes, and wells—and are often depicted as half-human and half-cobra.3
* Forms: In art, they are represented in three primary ways: as fully zoomorphic hooded cobras, as humans with a multi-headed snake canopy, or as half-human figures with a coiled snake tail.3
* Symbolism: They serve as guardians of treasure and, in many traditions, as protectors of the divine. For instance, the naga king Muchalinda is frequently shown sheltering the Buddha, while in Jainism, the Tirthankara Parshvanatha is depicted with a canopy of naga hoods.34