Shikhara

noun

/ʃɪˈkɑːrə/

The curvilinear or tapering tower that rises above the sanctum (garbhagriha) in North Indian (Nagara) temple architecture, serving as the most dominant and characteristic vertical element of the temple; sub-types include latina (curvilinear), phamsana (stepped pyramidal), and valabhi (wagon-vault).

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

Just as the soaring shikhara of a Nagara temple was conceived as a man-made Mount Meru drawing the eye and the spirit upward, a well-designed welfare architecture should crown its foundational schemes with an aspirational apex of dignity and self-reliance for the citizen.

Synonyms

spiretowersteeplepinnaclesuperstructurevimana

Antonyms

baseplinthfoundationsanctum

🌱 Word Family

śikhā (n Sanskrit), Nagara shikhara (n compound), shikhara-style (adj compound)

🔡 Root

Sanskrit śikhara (शिखर) = mountain peak, summit; related to śikhā (शिखā) = topknot, point; symbolises Mount Meru in Hindu cosmology

📜 Etymology

From Sanskrit śikhara ("mountain peak, summit"), related to śikhā ("topknot, point"); the form symbolises Mount Meru, the cosmic mountain at the centre of the universe in Hindu cosmology.

🧠 Memory Hook

"Shikhar" is Hindi for a mountain peak (think of Shikhar Dhawan reaching the summit of the batting charts) - the SHIKHARA is the temple's stone "peak" pointing to the heavens.

🏛️ History & Culture 📖 Seen in: Temple Architecture & Heritage Sites

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