Amalaka is the segmented, ribbed design is often interpreted as the Sun and its rays. The form dates back to the time of Ashoka (3rd century BCE), initially appearing on the capitals of pillars.

It became a standard feature of temple towers by the Gupta period. While common in North and Central India, it is notably absent in the Dravidian architecture of South India. 

The Vidisha District Museum houses an extensive collection of such 9th to 10th-century sculptures, primarily excavated from nearby historic sites like Besnagar and Gyaraspur. The collection spans Mauryan-Shunga era (2nd century BCE) through the Gupta period (4th-6th centuries CE) to the early medieval (8th-12th centuries CE) Paramara times.