Wender·Vista
Nithyakalyana Perumal temple
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileIndia
in Thiruvidandai, on the East Coast Road south of Chennai

Nithyakalyana Perumal temple

— — the temple of three hundred and sixty weddings.

— 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 coastal Divya Desam dedicated to Vishnu in his Varaha form, on the East Coast Road about 35 kilometres south of Chennai. The shrine is one of the older Pallava-Chola foundations on this stretch of the Tamil Nadu coast. Pilgrims come to pray for marriage. The legend holds that the god married three hundred and sixty daughters of the sage Galava, one a day, across a year. from the studio

from the studio
Nithyakalyana Perumal temple
— bring it home

Nithyakalyana Perumal 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 Nithyakalyana Perumal 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 Nithyakalyana Perumal Kovil stands in Thiruvidandai, a coastal village in Chengalpattu district about 35 kilometres south of Chennai on the East Coast Road. The shrine is one of 108 Divya Desams of Vaishnavism, the network of sacred Vishnu temples praised by the Alvar saints in Tamil hymns composed roughly between the sixth and ninth centuries CE. The main image is Vishnu as Varaha Perumal, the boar avatar, paired with the goddess Komalavalli Thayar. The Pallavas built the inner shrine, and the Cholas extended the prakaras and the rajagopuram in later centuries.

— informed by Wikipedia, Divya Desams
— the stone

The sanctum follows a Pallava plan with later Chola accretions. The carved Varaha holds a small figure of Bhudevi against his chest, lifted from the cosmic ocean. The rajagopuram rises in five tiers, plastered and painted in the Dravidian style. Inscriptions on the inner mandapa wall record grants from at least the Chola period under Kulottunga I. The temple complex faces east toward the Bay of Bengal, about a kilometre off, and the dawn light enters the main shrine through the open mukha-mandapa.

— informed by Tamil Nadu HR&CE
— the year

The temple's calendar centres on marriage. Couples and unmarried devotees visit through the year, with peak attendance on Panguni Uthiram in March and during the Vaikasi Brahmotsavam in May-June, when the deity is processed through Thiruvidandai. Vivaha homas, marriage fire rituals, are performed by the temple priests on request for a small materials fee. Tamil month Aadi brings the Thiruvadi Pooram festival for the consort Komalavalli Thayar. The shrine opens roughly 6am to noon and 4 to 8pm daily.

— informed by Dinamalar temple guide
— where
India · Thiruvidandai, Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu
— elevation
10 m · 33 ft
— position
12.7647° N · 80.2316° 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.
15 km S
Mahabalipuram
UNESCO heritage town
10 km N
Kovalam Beach
beach
10 km N
Dakshinachitra Museum
heritage museum
35 km N
Chennai
city
N
Nithyakalyana Perumal temple
Mahabalipuram
Kovalam Beach
Dakshinachitra Museum
Chennai
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Nithyakalyana Perumal temple — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

In Thiruvidandai village on the East Coast Road in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu, about 35 kilometres south of Chennai and 15 kilometres north of Mahabalipuram. The temple stands roughly a kilometre inland from the Bay of Bengal.

The legend holds that Vishnu, in his Varaha form, married the 360 daughters of the sage Galava one each day across a Tamil year. Devotees come to pray for marriage or for the well-being of newlyweds.

Yes. It is one of 108 Divya Desams, the sacred Vishnu temples praised in the Tamil Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the hymn collection of the twelve Alvar saints composed roughly between the sixth and ninth centuries CE.

The Pallava dynasty built the inner sanctum. The Cholas extended the surrounding prakaras and the five-tier rajagopuram, and inscriptions on the mandapa walls record grants under Kulottunga I and later Chola rulers.

The shrine is open roughly 6am to noon and 4 to 8pm every day, with longer hours on festival days. Marriage homas are conducted by appointment with the temple priests, with small material fees.

The Vaikasi Brahmotsavam in May or June is the principal annual festival, with the deity processed through Thiruvidandai on decorated vahanas. Panguni Uthiram in March and Thiruvadi Pooram in Aadi are the other major dates.

— about the piece in your home

Tamil families connected to the Divya Desam tradition often recognise the Varaha Perumal silhouette and the five-tier gopuram. The tile carries warmth as a wedding or housewarming gift. A Small or Medium with a studio note ships well.

The ochres and temple golds sit well in South Indian heritage interiors, Indo-modern living rooms, and warm-tone maximalist palettes. Pair the tile with teak, brass, and unbleached cotton.

The piece anchors an Indo-modern wall without leaning into kitsch. The temple geometry gives a strong vertical that grounds rooms designed with rosewood, brass accents, and natural fibre rugs.

A single Large sits well on a pooja or console wall; a 4-tile Mural anchors a sofa wall, and a 9-tile Mural carries a larger drawing room. Centre the piece at 145 to 150 cm from the floor.

Yes, in Dura Satin or Matte. Both resist steam and scratching and clean with a microfibre cloth. The Glossy finish is reserved for framed wall installations away from direct spray.

A soft microfibre cloth and warm water. The colour is infused into the ceramic surface beneath a thin protective finish, so a light wipe is enough. Avoid abrasive pads and ammonia-based sprays.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is painted in the studio's stained-glass and alcohol-ink visual language by Reid Wender, the curator. No licensing, no stock imagery, no third-party franchises.

— if this one stayed with you

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