Wender·Vista
Prem Mandir
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileIndia
in Vrindavan, just north of Mathura

Prem Mandir

— white marble that keeps changing colour after dark.

— 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 white marble temple on the edge of Vrindavan, finished in 2012 by the followers of Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj. After sunset the facade cycles slowly through saffron, rose, and a river-weed green, and the families who come for evening darshan stay long after the last hymn closes the gates.

from the studio
Prem Mandir
— bring it home

Prem Mandir, 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 Prem Mandir

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

Prem Mandir sits on a 54-acre campus on the western edge of Vrindavan, the pilgrimage town in Mathura district associated with the boyhood of Krishna. The temple was built over eleven years by the followers of Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj and was inaugurated in February 2012. The main shrine is carved from Italian marble and rises about 125 feet above the surrounding gardens, with a satellite shrine to Radha-Krishna and a second to Sita-Ram. The grounds include fountain courtyards and a long walking circuit kept open through the evening.

— the light

The marble is the point and the light is what reveals it. After dusk the trust runs a programmed colour wash across the facade, holding each hue for a few minutes before the next one comes up. Saffron, rose, a cooler blue, a river-weed green. The carved scenes from Krishna's life along the lower bands read differently in each pass. Families with small children sit on the marble steps and wait through the cycle. The illumination begins around sunset and runs for several hours, depending on the season.

— the year

The temple keeps the Vaishnava calendar. Janmashtami in August or September draws the largest crowds, with the courtyard filled past midnight for the birth of Krishna. Radhashtami follows two weeks later. Holi in March brings colour to the marble itself, and the cooler months from November through February are the easiest time to walk the grounds at a quiet pace. The trust keeps the evening illumination running through every season, though the timing shifts with the sun.

— informed by Wikipedia — Vrindavan
— where
India · Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
— position
27.5826° N · 77.6816° 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.
3 km E
Banke Bihari Temple
Krishna temple
2 km NE
ISKCON Vrindavan
Krishna-Balaram temple
12 km S
Mathura
pilgrimage city
N
Prem Mandir
Banke Bihari Temple
ISKCON Vrindavan
Mathura
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Prem Mandir — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The temple was built by the followers of Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj, founder of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat. Construction spanned about eleven years and the temple was inaugurated in February 2012.

Yes. The main shrine is carved from Italian marble, with detailed relief panels along the lower walls showing scenes from the lives of Radha-Krishna and Sita-Ram.

After sunset the trust runs a programmed colour wash across the marble facade, cycling through saffron, rose, blue, and green. It begins at dusk and runs for several hours.

The campus covers about 54 acres on the western edge of Vrindavan, with the main shrine, a Sita-Ram shrine, fountain courtyards, and a walking circuit through landscaped grounds.

Janmashtami in August or September is the largest gathering of the year, followed by Radhashtami and Holi. The cooler months from November through February are the easiest for a quiet visit.

— about the piece in your home

Often, yes. Prem Mandir is one of the most beloved newer temples in the town, and the marble-and-evening-colour treatment carries well for someone whose family keeps the Vaishnava calendar.

The cool marble whites and saffron accents read well in Indo-modern, jewel-tone maximalist, and warm minimalist rooms. The tile sits cleanly above a dark wood console or a cream linen sofa.

A single Large reads well over a standard sofa, a 4-tile Mural takes a wider sectional, and a 9-tile Mural carries an entry wall or stairwell where the colour shift earns the room.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and built for vertical installation in showers, backsplashes, and powder rooms.

A soft microfibre cloth with water is enough for routine cleaning. For the kitchen or bath finishes, a mild non-abrasive cleaner is fine. Avoid scouring pads on any finish.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is painted in-house in Knoxville, Tennessee, under a single curatorial eye. The work is not licensed and is not available through any other studio.

— if this one stayed with you

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