Tilak Mandirwala for Architects
Your marble stonework partner for architects
In India, behind your firm, project after project.
For architects and designers outside India: statues, murtis and garden sculpture in marble and natural stone for the projects you design, wherever they are. Choose from pieces ready now, or send us a brief and the master sculptors we work with carve it for you. We handle everything from the brief to your site.
- Ready pieces or made to your brief
- Progress photos as it is carved
- Shipped to you or your client
Choose your practice
Each kind of practice needs something different from stone. Pick yours to see what we make for it, the pieces we would suggest and how we work with firms like yours.
Temple architectsHindu and Jain murtis made to the size and proportions your temple calls for.See the page →
Landscape architectsBuddha statues and garden sculpture in natural stone, scaled for the site.See the page →
Zen and retreat gardensSeated and meditating Buddhas for courtyards, zendos and quiet gardens.See the page →
Hotel and resort architectsShow pieces for lobbies, arrival courts and resort gardens.See the page →Another kind of practice?Interiors, residences, spas, museums or something else entirely. Tell us what you design, and we send pieces that fit.✉ Email usThe piece your client will remember
You design the whole space. The statue in the courtyard, the murti in the temple or the Buddha at the end of the garden axis is often the last thing installed and the first thing everyone notices. It has to be right in scale, in stone and in finish, and it has to arrive on time and in one piece, wherever your project is.
That is the part we take off your plate. Tilak Mandirwala is a family marble business in India that has worked with the same master sculptors and artist families for years. We design each piece with you, brief the sculptor, follow the work and bring it to your site.
Bespoke, however demanding the brief
Projects are becoming more bespoke, and the briefs more demanding: a pose no catalogue carries, a stone matched to the facade, a figure scaled to one particular wall. We are ready to meet you there.
Over the years we have come to know the artisans we work with in India: what each one does best, and who should carve which piece. So a demanding brief goes to the sculptor best suited to it, and we follow it until it is right. Our joy is when the piece becomes one of the core pieces of your client's project.
A partner in India, project after project
We are built for firms that come back. Once we know how you work, your clients, the scale you design at and the finish you expect, every project after the first one moves faster: you send a brief, and we already know what good looks like to you.
We work behind your firm. Your client deals with you; we handle the sourcing, the carving with the sculptors we work with, the checks, the crating and the freight in the background. Temple builders and stone contractors in India already work with us this way, bringing us the murtis their projects need so they can deliver the whole building.
We handle it end to end, so you can focus on your work
From the first sketch to the crate at your site, we manage it: the design, the carving, checks along the way, export crating, shipping and delivery, to the US, the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Singapore, Australia or wherever the project is. You get one price in your currency, delivered to the site.
We can invoice your firm or your client directly, and ship to your office or straight to your client's address, whichever suits the project. Whether import duty is included in the price or paid on arrival is agreed with you for each shipment.
Two ways to work with us
Most projects use one of these, and many use both.
Ready now
Some pieces are already carved. Tell us what your projects usually need, and we ask the sculptors we work with and send photographs of the actual pieces, along with pieces we have shipped before so you can judge the finish. We keep you posted when new ones come in.
Made to your brief
A drawing, an elevation, a reference image or a rough sketch is enough to start. We confirm size and stone with the sculptor, quote one delivered price, and you see progress photos while the piece is carved.
What we specialize in
Sacred and contemplative figures in marble and natural stone, from about 2 to 5 ft. Buddha statues for gardens and landscapes and for Zen and meditation gardens. Hindu and Jain murtis for the temples you design. Ganesha, Krishna and other figures as show pieces for hotels and resorts, and portrait busts.
A few pieces architects ask us about
Large garden Buddhas, temple murtis and show pieces for lobbies. Each can be made in the size and stone your project needs.
Handcrafted Vietnam White Marble Buddha Statue – Teaching, 5ft5 ft · Concept image, made to order
Handcrafted Bhainslana Black Marble Buddha Statue, Reclining, 5ft5 ft · Concept image, made to order
Handcrafted Sagyin White Marble Buddha Statue – Meditation, 5ft5 ft · Concept image, made to order
Vietnam White Marble Buddha Statue – Blessing & Gift-Giving, 5ft5 ft · Concept image, made to order
Makrana White Marble Mahavir Swami Mulnayak with Full Parikar, 41in3 ft 5 in · Concept image, made to order
Makrana White Marble Standing Parshvanath Kayotsarga Murti, 31in2 ft 7 in · Concept image, made to order
Makrana White Marble Ganesh on Prabhavali Arch, 3 ft3 ft · Concept image, made to order
Handcrafted Vietnam White Marble Ganesha on Throne with Prabhavali, 36in3 ft · Photo of the piece
Dholpur Pink Sandstone Garden Hanuman 60in5 ft · Concept image, made to order
Dholpur Pink Sandstone Garden Lakshmi Statue — 5 ft Four-Armed Mahalakshmi5 ft · Concept image, made to order
Handcrafted Dholpur Sandstone Buddha Statue – Reclining, 4ft4 ft · Concept image, made to order
Handcrafted Bhainslana Black Marble Buddha Statue, Reclining, 4ft4 ft · Concept image, made to orderSee the full range: Temple architects · Landscape architects · Zen gardens · Hotels and resorts
How a project runs
We handle it end to end, so you can focus on your work. You get one point of contact from the first sketch to the crate at your site.
Send a brief, or ask what is ready
A drawing, an elevation, a reference image or a few lines about the space.
Photos, options and one price
We send photos of ready pieces or past work, confirm size and stone with the sculptor, and quote one delivered price.
Carved, with progress photos
The master sculptors we work with carve the piece, and you see it take shape before it is finished.
Crated, shipped, delivered
Export crating, shipping by air or sea, and delivery to your office, the site or straight to your client, ready to unload and place.
For your specification
- Stones
- Makrana white marble, Vietnam white marble, black stone and Dholpur pink sandstone. Which stone suits a design and a size is confirmed with the sculptor before we quote.
- Sizes
- Most designs from about 1 ft up to 5 ft. For projects, 2 to 5 ft is where these pieces do their best work.
- Timing
- Carving usually takes 4 to 6 weeks, and a simpler piece can be quicker. Shipping comes on top: typically about a week in transit by air, longer by sea, chosen per piece. A piece that is already made typically reaches you in about two weeks door to door, depending on where you are.
- Price
- You get one price in your currency covering the piece, export crating and delivery to your site. Whether import duty is included (DDP) or paid on arrival (DAP) is agreed with you for each shipment.
- Crating
- Each statue travels in a heat-treated wooden export crate carrying the ISPM-15 mark, braced and padded for a heavy stone piece. The commercial invoice, packing list and crate treatment certificate go with the shipment.
- Where we ship
- We ship to any country with a port, including the United States, Canada, the UK and Europe, Singapore, Japan, Dubai and the Middle East, and Australia.
Questions architects ask
How much does a custom marble statue cost?
It depends on the size, the stone and the detail, so we quote each brief. You receive one number in your currency that covers the piece, export crating and delivery to your site.
How long does a custom piece take?
Carving usually takes 4 to 6 weeks, and a simpler piece can be quicker. Shipping comes on top, typically about a week in transit by air and longer by sea. A piece that is already made typically reaches you in about two weeks door to door, depending on where you are.
Can you work from our drawings?
Yes. Drawings, elevations, a reference image or a sketch with dimensions all work. We confirm with the sculptor that the design works at that size and in that stone before we quote.
Can we see the piece before it ships?
Yes. You get progress photos while it is carved and photos of the finished piece before it is crated, so you and your client can approve it.
Can you invoice and ship to our client directly?
Yes. Many projects are invoiced to the architect's client and shipped straight to their address. We can invoice your firm or your client, whichever suits the project, and deliver to whatever address you give us.
Which countries do you ship to?
Any country with a port, including the United States, Canada, the UK and Europe, Singapore, Japan, Dubai and the Middle East, and Australia. Each piece travels in a heat-treated export crate.
Can we work with you across several projects?
Yes, and that is how we prefer to work. One contact follows all your projects, keeps your preferences on stone, finish and scale, and sends you ready pieces that fit the kind of work you do.
Do you keep pieces ready?
Some pieces are already carved at any time, and it changes. Email us what you are looking for and we ask the sculptors we work with and send photographs of the actual pieces.
Tell us about your next project
A few lines about the space and the piece is enough. We reply with photos, options and, once you choose, one delivered price. Or simply tell us what your practice designs, and we send you ready pieces as they come in.