vimana
The sanctum together with its superstructure (from the upapitam 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.
Vimana of the Airavatesvara Temple in Darasuram
