The temples in Northern India are built according to a style known as the Nagara style. The Nagara style was developed during AD 5th century. This style is characterized by a beehive-shaped and multi-layered tower, called ‘Shikhara’. The layers of this tower are topped by a large round cushion-like element called ‘amalaka’. The plan is based on a square but the walls are sometimes so segmented, that the tower appears circular in shape. Advancement in the architecture is found in temples belonging to later periods, in which the central shaft is surrounded by many smaller reproductions of itself, creating a visual effect of a fountain. The most prominent examples of this style of architecture are temples of
Khajuraho in
Madhya Pradesh.
