Amalaka
Topic: Early Indian Art and Architecture: Stupas, Rock-cut Caves, Temples · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
An amalaka is a large, round, ribbed stone disc on top of the shikhara, the tall curved tower over the shrine. It is a feature of Nagara (north Indian) temples. Its shape copies the amla fruit (Indian gooseberry), which gives it its name. A kalasha, a pot-shaped top piece, is placed above the amalaka. Together they form the crown of the temple.
Example
The Kandariya Mahadeva temple at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh was built under the Chandelas (c. 11th century CE). Its main shikhara ends in a ribbed amalaka with a kalasha on top.
Don't confuse with
- Kalasha means the pot-shaped piece that sits above the amalaka. The amalaka is the flat ribbed disc below it.
- In Dravida (south Indian) temples, the tower is stepped like a pyramid and topped by a dome-shaped stone, not an amalaka.
Related concepts
- Puranic Hinduism
- Vaishnavism
- Avatar
- Dashavatara
- Varaha
- Vasudeva-Krishna
- Shaivism
- Linga
- Garbhagriha
- Antarala