Wender·Vista
Kamakshi Amman Temple
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileIndia
in the old temple city of Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu

Kamakshi Amman Temple

— — the eye the city walks toward.

— 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 goddess temple in Kanchipuram, one of the seven holy cities of Hindu tradition, about seventy kilometres south-west of Chennai. The shrine is dedicated to Kamakshi, a form of Tripura Sundari, and is considered one of the principal Shakta seats in southern India. The gold-plated vimana over the sanctum catches the late afternoon sun above the surrounding tiled roofs.

from the studio
Kamakshi Amman Temple
— bring it home

Kamakshi Amman 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 Kamakshi Amman 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

The Kamakshi Amman Temple is in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, about 72 kilometres south-west of Chennai. It is dedicated to the goddess Kamakshi, a regional form of Tripura Sundari, and ranks among the three principal Shakta shrines of southern India alongside Madurai's Meenakshi and Tiruchanur's Padmavathi. The earliest structures are attributed to the Pallava dynasty around the sixth or seventh century, with major additions under the Cholas, Pandyas, and the Vijayanagara empire. The complex covers roughly five acres in the centre of old Kanchipuram, surrounded by the silk-weaving streets that have supplied the temple's ceremonial cloth for centuries.

— informed by Wikipedia, Tamil Nadu HR&CE
— the year

The temple's calendar runs by the lunar month. The annual Brahmotsavam, ten days centred on the Tamil month of Masi (February to March), draws the largest crowds, with chariot processions through the streets around the temple. Navaratri in September or October, the nine-night festival of the goddess, fills the precinct each evening with lamp offerings. Friday is the weekly day of the goddess; Sundays and full-moon nights see longer queues. The temple's distinguishing feature is that Kanchipuram's other major shrines hold no separate goddess sanctum, by tradition consolidated here through Adi Shankaracharya in the eighth century.

— informed by Tamil Nadu HR&CE
— the visit

The temple is open roughly 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., with shorter midday hours during festivals. Entry is free; a paid fast-track line shortens the wait on busy days. Photography is not permitted inside the inner courts; shoes and bags are checked at the entrance. Modest dress is required, with covered shoulders for everyone and a dhoti or veshti for men in some inner shrines. Chennai's MGR Central station connects to Kanchipuram by frequent suburban trains; the journey takes about two hours.

— where
India · Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
— position
12.8425° N · 79.7036° 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.
1.5 km N
Ekambareswarar Temple
Shiva temple
3 km SE
Varadharaja Perumal Temple
Vishnu temple
2 km W
Kailasanathar Temple
Pallava temple
72 km NE
Chennai
state capital
N
Kamakshi Amman Temple
Ekambareswarar Temple
Varadharaja Perumal Temple
Kailasanathar Temple
Chennai
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Kamakshi Amman Temple — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The temple stands in old Kanchipuram, in Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu, southern India, about 72 kilometres south-west of Chennai. The city is one of the seven holy cities of Hindu tradition.

Kamakshi is a regional form of the goddess Tripura Sundari, worshipped here as the consort of Shiva and the presiding deity of Kanchipuram. The name translates roughly as 'she whose eyes evoke desire.'

The earliest structures are attributed to the Pallava dynasty in the sixth or seventh century, with substantial expansion under the Cholas, Pandyas, and Vijayanagara emperors from the ninth century onward. The gold-plated vimana is a later addition.

Tradition holds that Adi Shankaracharya, in the eighth century, consolidated all goddess worship at Kamakshi Amman so the temple alone serves the role across the city. The other major Kanchipuram shrines are dedicated to forms of Vishnu and Shiva.

The annual Brahmotsavam runs for ten days in the Tamil month of Masi (February to March), with chariot processions through the temple streets. Navaratri in September or October is the second major festival.

— about the piece in your home

Kamakshi Amman is among the most loved shrines for Tamil families, and Kanchipuram silk is woven around the temple itself. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio travels well.

The gold, vermilion, and deep blue suit Jewel-tone Maximalist, Indian-modern, and warm Minimalist rooms. The colour holds against cream plaster walls, against teak, and against burnished brass.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large carries the gold vimana. For wider walls a four-tile Mural opens the gopuram into the frame, and a nine-tile Mural extends across a long console.

Yes. In a home shrine the Keepsake or Small reads well in the Glossy finish. For a kitchen or bathroom installation use the Dura Satin or Matte finish instead.

A soft microfibre cloth with water handles everyday dust and lamp soot. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface beneath a thin glossy finish and will not lift with normal cleaning.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is drawn in the studio's stained-glass and alcohol-ink language by Reid Wender and produced in our Knoxville studio. No licensing, no third-party imagery.

— if this one stayed with you

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