In Hindu temple architecture, ''tala'' is a tier or storey of a ''

shikhara ''Shikhara'' ( IAST: '), a Sanskrit word translating literally to "mountain peak", refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India, and also often used in Jain temples. A ''shikhara'' over the ''garbhagriha'' chambe ...

'', ''

vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also men ...

'', or ''

gopuram A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the Sout ...

''. It is an important compositional element, which is especially distinct in the

Dravidian architecture Dravidian architecture, or the South Indian temple style, is an architectural idiom in Hindu temple architecture that emerged from South India, reaching its final form by the sixteenth century. It is seen in Hindu temples, and the most distinc ...

Dravidian vimanas

Vimanas above the sanctum are typically shaped as a four-sided

pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...

, consisting of progressively smaller talas. Dravidian vimanas can be classified as one-story (called ''ekatala''), two-story (''dvi-tala''), three-story (''tri-tala''), and so on. Usually, vimanas have up to seven stories. However, the tallest gopurams and vimanas, such as that of the Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, may have up to 13 talas. Importantly, the ''kuta'' at the top of a vimana does not count as a separate tala. As a major horizontal division of a temple, in the middle each tala has a wall zone with slender pilasters. The side parts are usually heavily decorated with statues, which may add up to hundreds. Many temples claim that each one of such statues is unique. Vimanas are divided in two groups: ''jati vimanas'' that have up to four talas and ''mukhya vimanas'' that have five talas and more.

References

Hindu temple architecture {{hindu-temple-stub