Wender·Vista
Laxminarayan Temple
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileIndia
west of Connaught Place, near the Mandir Marg ridge in New Delhi

Laxminarayan Temple

— — a temple the colour of festival sugar.

— 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

“Often called Birla Mandir, the Laxminarayan Temple sits on Mandir Marg in central New Delhi, west of Connaught Place. It was built by the industrialist Baldeo Das Birla and his son Jugal Kishore Birla between 1933 and 1939 and inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi, on the condition that the temple be open to people of every caste. The walls are painted in red, ochre, and saffron. — from the studio

from the studio
Laxminarayan Temple
— bring it home

Laxminarayan 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 Laxminarayan 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 Laxminarayan Temple, widely known as Birla Mandir, is a Hindu temple in central New Delhi dedicated to Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, and her consort Narayana, a form of Vishnu. It stands on Mandir Marg, about two kilometres west of Connaught Place, and occupies roughly three hectares of grounds including gardens, fountains, and side shrines. The temple was commissioned by the industrialist Baldeo Das Birla and his son Jugal Kishore Birla, designed by Sris Chandra Chatterjee in the Nagara style, and built between 1933 and 1939.

— the stone

The main shrine rises about 49 metres, crowned with a curvilinear shikhara of carved sandstone and finished in red, ochre, and saffron lime wash. The architect Sris Chandra Chatterjee drew on the Nagara temple tradition of north India, with subsidiary shrines flanking a central sanctuary. Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated the temple in 1939 on the explicit condition that it be open to people of every caste — a condition unusual for a major Hindu temple of its period, and one the Birla family agreed to in writing before construction was completed.

— the visit

The temple is open to visitors daily, generally from around 4:30 in the morning to about 9:00 in the evening, with a midday break between roughly 1:30 and 4:00. Entry is free. Photography is not permitted inside the inner shrines. Shoes must be removed at the marked area, and modest dress is expected. The main festival here is Janmashtami, the celebration of Krishna's birth in August or September, when the grounds fill with lamps, music, and visitors from across the city.

— where
India · New Delhi
— position
28.6326° N · 77.1995° 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.
2 km E
Connaught Place
commercial centre
1 km SE
Gole Market
neighbourhood
3 km S
Rashtrapati Bhavan
presidential residence
N
Laxminarayan Temple
Connaught Place
Gole Market
Rashtrapati Bhavan
— common questions

What people ask.

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

It is a Hindu temple in central New Delhi dedicated to Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, and Narayana, a form of Vishnu. It is widely known as Birla Mandir after the family that built it.

The industrialists Baldeo Das Birla and his son Jugal Kishore Birla commissioned the temple. Architect Sris Chandra Chatterjee designed it in the Nagara style, and construction ran from 1933 to 1939.

The temple was inaugurated in 1939 by Mahatma Gandhi. He agreed to inaugurate it only on the condition that it be open to people of every caste, including those then excluded from many Hindu temples.

It stands on Mandir Marg in central New Delhi, about two kilometres west of Connaught Place. The grounds cover roughly three hectares and include gardens, fountains, and subsidiary shrines.

The temple is typically open from about 4:30 in the morning until about 9:00 in the evening, with a closed period in the early afternoon between roughly 1:30 and 4:00. Entry is free.

Janmashtami, the celebration of Krishna's birth in August or September, is the largest festival at the temple. Diwali, the festival of lights honouring Lakshmi, is also a major observance on the grounds.

— about the piece in your home

It carries well for people with roots in Delhi or wider north India, and for families who associate the temple with Diwali or Janmashtami. A Small or Medium with a note from the studio is the usual choice.

The piece sits well in Indian-modern, jewel-tone-maximalist, and warm-traditional rooms. The saffron, vermilion, and white palette reads strongly against teak, brass, and lime-washed walls.

Yes. Indian-modern rooms have moved toward representational temple and ghat imagery rather than purely ornamental motifs. This tile fits that direction.

A single Large works above a console or pooja-area cabinet. Above a sofa, a 4-tile Mural is the usual choice, with a 9-tile Mural for larger walls.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and suited to humid rooms. Glossy is best kept to dry walls, framed pieces, and pooja shelves.

A soft microfibre cloth and water. No abrasive sprays, no scouring pads. The colour rests inside the ceramic surface and is unaffected by normal cleaning.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original work from a single family studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nothing is licensed in. Reid Wender curates each place that enters the atlas.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.