Temple architecture in India is majorly classified into two groups, the Nagara (North Indian style) and the Dravida (South Indian style). The origin of Nagara style temples can be traced to the late-Gupta era (5th century CE). The initial features of temples of the Gupta period were a square sanctum santorum and a pillared porch. The conical domes called Shikhras were not so prominent back then, the Gupta temple at Sanchi

Gupta temple at Sanchi

is a great example. During the later part of their rule, Shikhras started becoming a salient attribute of the temples, the Dashavatara temple (early 6th century CE) at Deogarh

Dashavatara temple Deogarh

being a prominent example. With the passage of time, Nagara became the main style of temple architecture in the north, west, and eastern parts of India (except Bengal). The salient features of a medieval Nagara style temple are a Garbhgriha (sanctum santorum), Mandapa (entrance), and Shikhra (spire). The style later developed further subgroups within it, the most prominent being the Chandela style (Vamana temple Khajuraho, central India)

Vamana temple Khajuraho

, Kalinga style (Lingaraja temple Bhubaneswar, Orissa)

Lingaraja temple Bhubneshwar

, Solanki style (Sun temple Modhera, western India)

Sun temple Modhera

, and Pahadi style (Baijnath temple Kangra, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh)

Baijnath temple Kangra

. These temples can be uniquely classified through the architectural form of their Shikhras into three clusters. The latina or rekha-prasada with inward-sloping walls, the phamsana which are shorter and thicker than latina ones, and the vallabhi type where a rectangular complex which rises into a vaulted cell.