Yakshi is a sculpture in Malampuzha park,

Palakkad Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...

adjacent to the

Malampuzha Dam Malampuzha Dam is the second largest dam and reservoirs in Kerala, located near Palakkad, in the state of Kerala in South India, built post independence by the then Madras state. Situated in the scenic hills of the Western Ghats in the backgroun ...

in Kerala. Sculptored by

Kanayi Kunhiraman Kanayi Kunhiraman ( ml, കാനായി കുഞ്ഞിരാമന്‍; born 25 July 1937) is an Indian sculptor, best known for his outsize sculptures such as ''Yakshi'' of Malampuzha Dam Gardens, '' Sagarakanyaka'' at Shankumugham B ...

, its construction was completed in 1969. It is a 30 feet tall sculpture and is inspired from a nude female

Yakshi ''Yakshinis'' or ''yakshis'' (यक्षिणी sa, yakṣiṇī or ''yakṣī''; pi, yakkhiṇī or ''yakkhī'') are a class of female nature spirits in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain religious mythologies that are different from devas and ...

(female spirit), with her legs stretched out, breasts lifted, eyes raised to the sky in a semi-drowsy state and fingers running through her hair. The sculpture is constructed in a single piece. Kunhiraman was honoured by

Kerala Government Government of Kerala is the subnational government of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision ...

in 2019 during the 50th anniversary of the sculpture.

Criticism

The sculpture have been criticised by some people for its nudity.

References

{{Tourism in Kerala Sculptures in India Buildings and structures in Palakkad district