Athangudi Tiles

A patterned metal stencil is placed on a glass plate and colour mixes of oxide pigment, cement and water are poured into each section by hand. The stencil is lifted, a layer of cement and local sand is spread over the design, and the tile is pressed and left to cure in water for several days.

Because the design sets against the glass, the finished surface has a natural sheen without any polishing or glazing. No firing is involved, which keeps energy use low, and every tile is made individually.

The tiles developed alongside the Chettiar mansions of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when the trading community built large courtyard houses using materials sourced both locally and from across Southeast Asia. Athangudi tiles were the affordable and durable local answer to imported European flooring, and they have since become a signature element of Chettinad architecture.

Athangudi village lies close to Karaikudi in Sivagangai district and has several working units that welcome visitors to watch tiles being poured. Heritage mansions in Kanadukathan, Athangudi and Devakottai show the tiles in their original settings. Custom colours and patterns can be ordered directly from the units.