Wender·Vista
Banke Bihari Temple
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileIndia
in Vrindavan, on a western bend of the Yamuna

Banke Bihari Temple

— — the temple where the curtain opens and closes by hand.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“A Krishna temple in the old lanes of Vrindavan, north of Mathura, built in 1864 around an image the founder is said to have uncovered in the nearby Nidhivan grove. The deity is shielded by a curtain that the priests draw and release every few minutes, so the gaze of the god and the gaze of the visitor never settle. There are no bells inside and no conch is blown. The crowd makes the only sound.

from the studio
Banke Bihari Temple
— bring it home

Banke Bihari Temple, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Banke Bihari Temple

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Banke Bihari Mandir stands in the Ramanreti quarter of Vrindavan, a pilgrimage town in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, about 150 km south of Delhi on the western bank of the Yamuna river. The temple was established in 1864 by followers of Swami Haridas, a sixteenth-century devotional poet and teacher of the musician Tansen. The image inside is the small dark figure of Bihariji, a tribhanga form of Krishna said to have been recovered from the Nidhivan grove a short walk to the north.

— the year

The temple year turns on Krishna's calendar. Holi here, in the week before the spring festival, is among the most attended in India, with the priests showering devotees in coloured powder from the temple steps. Janmashtami in August or September fills the lanes for two days. The image is uncovered only on Akshaya Tritiya for the feet darshan, and on Sharad Purnima for the night gathering. On any other day the rhythm is the curtain — drawn shut every minute or two so the gaze never lingers.

— the visit

The temple is reached on foot through the narrow lanes around Vidyapeeth Chauraha; vehicles stop a short walk away. Morning darshan runs roughly 7:45 to 12:00 and evening darshan from about 17:30 to 21:30, with the timings shifting by season. Photography inside is not allowed and bags are checked at the gate. The crowd is heavy on weekends and during festival weeks; weekday mornings are the quietest. Footwear is left at stalls outside the entrance.

— where
India · Vrindavan, Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh
— position
27.5806° N · 77.7006° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
1 km N
Nidhivan
sacred grove
3 km SW
Prem Mandir
temple
3 km S
ISKCON Vrindavan
temple
N
Banke Bihari Temple
Nidhivan
Prem Mandir
ISKCON Vrindavan
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Banke Bihari Temple — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

It is in Vrindavan, in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, about 150 km south of Delhi on the western bank of the Yamuna. The temple sits in the Ramanreti quarter and is reached on foot through the old lanes.

The temple was established in 1864 by the followers of Swami Haridas, a sixteenth-century devotional poet and teacher of the musician Tansen. The image inside is said to come from the nearby Nidhivan grove.

Priests draw the curtain across the deity every minute or two so the loving gaze between Bihariji and the devotee does not settle for too long. The practice is particular to this temple.

Bells and conch are not used inside the sanctum, on the belief that Bihariji is a child form of Krishna whose rest should not be disturbed. The only sound is the voice of the crowd.

Holi here falls a few days before the wider festival, with priests showering coloured powder on the gathered crowd from the temple steps. It is one of the most attended Holi observances in India.

Morning darshan runs roughly 7:45 to 12:00 and evening darshan from about 17:30 to 21:30, with timings shifting by season. Weekday mornings are quietest; weekends and festival weeks fill the lanes.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for many of our customers connected to Braj. Vrindavan is the heart-place of Krishna devotion, and Banke Bihari is its most loved temple. A Small or Coaster with a handwritten studio note carries the connection.

The piece sits well in Indo-modern, Jewel-tone, and Maximalist rooms. The deep blues and gold cast play against teak, brass, and saffron textiles without crowding the wall.

Yes. A Keepsake or Small reads naturally in a puja corner or hallway shrine. The ceramic surface holds light without glare from a lamp or oil diya placed nearby.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large reads cleanly. Above a wider piece, a 4-tile Mural carries the wall. For a long entry wall or stair landing, a 9-tile Mural holds the room.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for vertical installation in damp rooms. The colour is infused into the ceramic surface and will not lift with humidity or cleaning.

A soft microfibre cloth and water is all the surface needs. Skip abrasive pads and solvent cleaners. The colour lives in the ceramic itself, not in a topcoat that could be worn away.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original work by Reid Wender, made in the studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nothing is licensed in or reproduced from another artist.

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