: The equivalent of the shikhara is the vimana. The superstructure above the sanctum is typically more like a four-sided pyramid in overall shape, consisting of progressively smaller storeys of pavilions (talas), with a profile that is normally straight rather than curved. The Dravidian superstructure is generally highly ornate. In every style of shikhara/vimana, the structure culminates with a "kalasha", or urn for offerings, or water-pot, at its peak. See also Meru tower Vimana (architectural feature) Hindu temple architecture Balinese temple Stupa Kadamba Shikhara Notes References Hardy, Adam, Indian Temple Architecture: Form and Transformation : the Karṇāṭa Drāviḍa Tradition, 7th to 13th Centuries, 1995, Abhinav Publications, , 9788170173120, google books Harle, J.C., The Art and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent, 2nd edn. 1994, Yale University Press Pelican History of Art, Michell, George (1988), The Hindu Temple: An Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms, University of Chicago Press, Hindu temple architecture Roofs