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शिखर
śikhara
Temple tower over the garbhagriha in Nagara (north Indian) architecture. Topped by an amalaka and kalasha. Curvilinear in profile.
शिखर; नागर शैली का मन्दिर-शिखर।
Hindu thought is built from a vocabulary of carefully-distinguished terms. Words like shikhara are not loose translations — each has a precise scriptural genealogy, a specific role in ritual or philosophy, and often a counterpart that completes its meaning. Many of the major Hindu darśanas (Sāṅkhya, Yoga, Vedānta, Mīmāṃsā, Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika) refined their vocabulary over centuries; the same Sanskrit term can carry different shades in different schools.
Shikhara sits within a cluster of related concepts — vimana, amalaka, kalasha, nagara. Reading these together gives you the actual texture of the idea, rather than treating it as an isolated definition. Each Sanskrit term in this glossary is cross-linked to the others it presupposes.
Where useful we cite the primary scriptural source — the Upaniṣad, sūtra, or smṛti passage where the term is given its classical sense — alongside trusted modern dictionaries (Monier-Williams, V.S. Apte, Sanskrit Heritage). For practical questions about usage in pūjā or daily life, ask a paṇḍita in your tradition.
Ribbed cushion-like ornament crowning a Nagara shikhara, named after the amla fruit. Topped by a kalasha.
Flag-staff in front of the temple, usually copper or gold-plated, bearing the deity's emblem (Garuda for Vishnu, Nandi for Shiva, etc.).
Womb-chamber; the innermost sanctum of a temple housing the principal deity. Always small, dark, and oriented (usually east). The sanctum sanctorum.
Towering gateway of a Dravida temple, typically taller than the central vimana. Tiered (5/7/9/11 storeys), richly sculpted with deities and stories. Defines the south Indian skyline.
Pillared hall in front of the temple sanctum. Several types: ardha-mandapa (porch), maha-mandapa (great hall), nritya-mandapa (dance hall), kalyana-mandapa (marriage hall).
Enclosure wall around a temple. Major south Indian temples have multiple concentric prakaras with gopurams on each.
(1) The tower over the garbhagriha in Dravida (south Indian) temple architecture — equivalent to shikhara in Nagara. (2) Aerial vehicle of gods (e.g., Pushpaka).
Awaiting paṇḍita verification before final publication. If you spot an inaccuracy in the Sanskrit, IAST, or interpretation, please write to us.