Vimana (tower)

Vimana (Tamil: விமானம் vimāņam) is a term for the tower above the Karuvarai or Sanctum sanctorum in a Hindu temples in south India.

A typical Hindu temple in Dravidian style have gopurams in the four directions i.e East - main entrance, North and south - side entrances, West - only opened on auspicious day where it is believed we will go directly to Heaven.The temple's walls are typically square with the outer most wall having four gopuras, one each on every side, situated exactly in the center of each wall. This will continue to next tier depending upon the size of the temple. The sanctum sanctorum and its towering roof (the central deity's shrine) are also called the Vimana. Generally, these do not assume as much significance as the outer gopurams, with the exception of a few temples where the sanctum sanctorum's roofs are as famous as the temple complex itself.

The kanaka-sabai (Golden Stage) at Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram is another example. This shrine is entirely covered with golden plates, but is different in its structure and massive in size when compared to most other Vimanas. Historical evidence states that during the 9th century Parantaka Chola I funded to cover this Vimana with ornamental gold and it retains its glory even today.

The Ananda Nilayam vimanam of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple is a famous example where the gopuram of the main shrine occupies a very special place in the temple's history and identity.

Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple has two golden vimanas, the huge one for Lord Shiva and the second one for His consort Meenakshi.

The Vimana of the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Tanjore is another example, with a very exaggerated height. This form is not very common.

...
Wikipedia