amalaka

Glossary

Ribbed or notched stone disk that is part of the crowning segment in Kalinga and Nagara temple architecture. The amalaka is placed on top of the temple’s superstructure or shikhara, and surmounted by a kalasha or vase finial. It is said to be named after the Indian gooseberry, amala (fruit of the tree Phyllanthus emblica), and symbolises either a lotus — the seat of the temple deity — or a gateway to the heavens.

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Architecture Pre-Modern Art

amalaka%newline%Ribbed or notched stone disk that is part of the crowning segment in Kalinga and Nagara temple architecture. The amalaka is placed on top of the temple’s superstructure or shikhara, and surmounted by a kalasha or vase finial. It is said to be named after the Indian gooseberry, amala (fruit of the tree Phyllanthus emblica), and symbolises either a lotus — the seat of the temple deity — or a gateway to the heavens.

Chicago	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. “amalaka”. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/amalaka/
MLA	“amalaka.” MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/amalaka/. Accessed 26, May, 2025.
Harvard	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. (2022) amalaka. [Online]. Available at: https://mapacademy.io/glossary/amalaka/. (Accessed: 26, May, 2025)