The sanctum together with its superstructure (from the upapitham to the stupi; (vimana, Tamil: விமானம்);
‘chariot of the gods’ – main tower of temple, considered to be a divine aerial palace inhabited by the gods; also applied to temple as a whole
Shrine, from upana to stupi (base to finial), the whole shrine consisting of adhishthana (basement), pada (pillars) or bhitti (walls), prastara (entablature), griva (neck or clerestory), sikhara (head or roof) and stupi (finial) in the case of simple vimana’s (ekatala);
with tala’s (storeys) intervening between the lowermost prastara below and the griva, sikhara and stupi above in storeyed vimanas.
Niche on walls of shrines and mandapa’s containing sculpture of deities (their occupants are called vimana-devata – parsva-devata in Kalinga); often crowned by torana or shrine motif, kuta sala, panjara, or kudu, or udgama.