This is the base of a golden pillar inside the temple in the Oonjal Mandapa, the pavilion leading to the Meenakshi Shrine. The shrines to the gods are off-limits to non-Hindus and photos in the entire temple can only be taken with mobile phones.The pillars are carved in the form of the mythical beast yali which recurs in temples throughout the region. At the base of the column is a lotus. Yali may be portrayed as part lion, part elephant and part horse, and in similar shapes. Also, it has been sometimes described as a leogryph (part lion and part griffin), with some bird-like features.