Shikhara

E359364

Shikhara is the towering, often curvilinear spire that rises above the sanctum of a Hindu temple, symbolizing the cosmic axis and marking its most sacred point.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Shikhara canonical 1
rekha-prasada (standard latina) shikhara 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Hindu temple architecture feature ⓘ
architectural element ⓘ
architecturalStyle curvilinear ⓘ
towering spire ⓘ
associatedWith Nagara style temple architecture ⓘ
North Indian temple architecture ⓘ
category Religious architecture ⓘ
Temple spire ⓘ
contrastedWith Dravida vimana ⓘ
developedInRegion Indian subcontinent ⓘ
linked to: South Asia
etymologyLanguage Sanskrit ⓘ
etymologyMeaning peak ⓘ
summit ⓘ
function crowns the main shrine ⓘ
visually emphasizes sanctum ⓘ
hasSubtypes bhumija shikhara ⓘ
latina shikhara ⓘ
rekha deul ⓘ
shekhari shikhara ⓘ
linked to: Shekhari Nagara
heightRelativeToTemple tallest element ⓘ
influencedBy cosmological concepts in Hinduism ⓘ
locatedAbove garbhagriha ⓘ
sanctum sanctorum ⓘ
linked to: Sanctum Sanctorum
marks most sacred point of the temple ⓘ
oftenDecoratedWith geometric patterns ⓘ
miniature spires ⓘ
sculptural ornamentation ⓘ
orientation aligned with temple’s main axis ⓘ
partOf Hindu temple superstructure ⓘ
religiousSignificance focus of ritual orientation ⓘ
indicates presence of deity ⓘ
roleInTemplePlan dominant vertical element ⓘ
vertical axis ⓘ
seenInFamousTemples Kandariya Mahadeva Temple ⓘ
Khajuraho Group of Monuments ⓘ
Konark Sun Temple ⓘ
Lingaraja Temple ⓘ
structuralPosition above vertical axis of sanctum ⓘ
symbolizes Mount Meru ⓘ
axis mundi ⓘ
cosmic axis ⓘ
typicalMaterial brick ⓘ
stone ⓘ
usedInTradition Hinduism ⓘ
visibleFrom long distance ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Somnath Temple → hasStructure → Shikhara ⓘ
Bhumija → contrastedWith → rekha-prasada (standard latina) shikhara ⓘ
linked to: Shikhara