A shikhara is the topmost pointed portion of a temple. It forms the neck of the temple. The shikhara of the north Indian temple is different from the South Indian one. The north Indian shikhara was basically curvillinear in shape. According to South Indian architecture texts, the term shikhara is reserved for the dome-shaped crowning cap. The Rajarajeshvara or the Brihadeshwara temple at Thanjavur has the tallest shikhara amongst temples of its time.