Vimana
The pyramidal tower that rises above the garbhagriha (main shrine) of a Dravidian temple — the architecturally primary element of the temple complex.
The vimana is the pyramidal superstructure that rises above the garbhagriha (inner sanctum) of a Dravidian temple. It is the architecturally and ritually primary element of the Dravidian temple — the visible marker of the location of the deity's presence.
In Pallava and Chola architecture, the vimana is the tallest and most prominent element of the temple complex. The Brihadeeswara vimana at Thanjavur (c. 1010 CE) rises 66 metres, making it one of the tallest masonry structures in pre-modern India. In later Vijayanagara and Nayak complexes, the gopurams at the enclosure gateways grow larger than the vimana.