shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileIndia

deep in the Western Ghats of Kerala

Sabarimala temple complex

— — a forest that holds the lamp.

— 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

— 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

“Sabarimala sits inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve, reached on foot through forest. Pilgrims wear black or saffron, carry the irumudi on the head, and climb the eighteen sacred steps barefoot. The Mandala-Makaravilakku season runs from mid-November through mid-January and draws tens of millions. The rest of the year the forest closes around the shrine again.

from the studio

— bring it home

Sabarimala temple complex, 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 Sabarimala temple complex

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 temple stands at about 468 metres in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, on Sabari Hill within the Periyar Tiger Reserve. It is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa and is reached only on foot from base towns like Pamba, the road head four kilometres below. The principal pilgrimage windows are the Mandala-Makaravilakku season from mid-November to mid-January and the Vishu festival in April. It is one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world.

— informed by Wikipedia, Travancore Devaswom Board

— the visit

Pilgrims observe a forty-one-day vratham (vegetarian diet, simple dress, no intoxicants) before the journey. The climb begins at Pamba and crosses the Neelimala ridge through tropical forest. Only those who carry the irumudi, the prepared pilgrimage bundle, may ascend the eighteen Pathinettam Padi steps at the sanctum. Black, blue, or saffron mundu is the customary dress. The Travancore Devaswom Board administers the temple and posts darshan hours through the season.

— informed by Travancore Devaswom Board

— the silence

The forest is part of the experience. The route runs through dense Western Ghats jungle (sandalwood, teak, jackfruit) and pilgrims walk it in soft chant, Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa, the call passing along the line. Wildlife crosses the path: elephants, gaur, the occasional leopard track. The Periyar Tiger Reserve was established in 1982 and the temple precinct sits within its core. Outside the festival window the hill belongs to the forest and to silence.

— informed by Periyar Tiger Reserve

— where

India · Pathanamthitta, Kerala

— within

Periyar Tiger Reserve

— elevation

468 m · 1,535 ft

— position

9.4365° N · 77.0810° 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.

4 km SW

Pamba

pilgrimage base town

50 km W

Erumeli

traditional trail head

65 km W

Pathanamthitta

district headquarters

Sabarimala temple complex

Pamba

Erumeli

Pathanamthitta

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Sabarimala temple complex — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

A Hindu pilgrimage temple in Kerala dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, set inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghats. It draws tens of millions of pilgrims during its main season each year.

Only on foot, from the base town of Pamba. The trail climbs about four kilometres through dense forest and crosses the Neelimala ridge before reaching the sanctum on Sabari Hill at roughly 468 metres.

The Pathinettam Padi are the eighteen stone steps leading directly into the sanctum. Only pilgrims carrying the irumudi (the prepared bundle of offerings) may climb them. The steps were sheathed in panchaloha bronze in 1985.

The two principal windows are Mandala-Makaravilakku, from mid-November to mid-January, and the Vishu festival in mid-April. The temple opens for shorter periods on the first day of each Malayalam month through the rest of the year.

A forty-one-day preparation that pilgrims undertake before the journey: vegetarian diet, simple black or saffron dress, abstention from intoxicants, and daily devotional practice. The discipline is observed by men, women, and children.

The Travancore Devaswom Board, a statutory body of the Government of Kerala, has administered Sabarimala and a large network of Kerala temples since 1950.

— about the piece in your home

It carries well. Sabarimala is one of the most personal places in Malayali devotional life, the object of an annual journey for many families. A Small or Medium tile with a handwritten note from the studio travels with care.

The deep forest greens and lamplight tones sit well with Indo-modern, Tropical-modern, and Earth-tone Maximalist interiors. The piece anchors a quiet alcove or a wall of dark teak well.

Yes. Reid Wender is the curator and the artwork exists only here, one studio, no licensing. Each tile is hand-finished in Knoxville, Tennessee.

A single Large reads cleanly above a console. Above a sofa, a four-tile Mural carries the wall; a nine-tile Mural takes the architecture of a longer room.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish. The tile is sealed against humidity and steam, which makes it a good fit for a backsplash, shower wall, or a small puja-room niche.

A soft microfibre cloth and warm water. No abrasives, no solvents, no scouring pads. The colour lives in the surface and will not lift with normal cleaning.

Many of our customers place pieces like this in a puja room or quiet corner. A Keepsake or Small sits well on a wooden shelf at eye level; a Coaster with the lamp nearby is another quiet option.

— if this one stayed with you

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