shikhara means A spire or pyramid-shaped tower forming part of a Hindu temple. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why this word is great
SHIKHARA — [Noun] A curvilinear pyramidal spire forming the superstructure above the sanctum of a Hindu temple. From Sanskrit शिखर (śikhara, "mountain peak, pinnacle, summit"). Unlike a gopuram, which is an ornate gateway tower framing the temple’s periphery, or a generic spire, which is a mere architectural taper, the shikhara is the axis mundi—the stone simulacrum of Mount Meru, the cosmic pillar. It is the granite peak rising from the dark womb of the garbhagriha; the carved ascent of deities and demons; the silent pinnacle gathering the scent of marigolds and prayer from below. It stands as architecture's most profound rebuttal to gravity, a prayer made permanent in geometry, a built mountain that makes the cosmic mountain tangible.
noun
- A spire or pyramid-shaped tower forming part of a Hindu temple.“The silver shikhara of the Eklingji Temple shone like the beam from a lighthouse.”