For a classic flooring

Athangudi handmade tiles look chic even in modern houses, and a range of designs produced locally are available in Bengaluru now. By Ranjani Govind 

Athangudi tiles are handmade and named after Athangudi, the village where they originated and located in the Chettinad area of Tamil Nadu. They are also known as ‘Chettinad tiles’ or ‘Karaikudi tiles’ portraying the legacy of Chettinad. Thousands of families were once involved in the making of these tiles, with the traditional craft passed over generations.

Well-known eco-friendly architect Benny Kuriakose who follows no-waste construction says, “Have you seen Chettinad’s brick and mortar treasures? The walls and floor belie their age and even corners look as if they were polished recently. I have delved into Chettinad interiors that bring in signature Athangudi floor tiles, making their mansions captivating. Athangudi’s vibrant floral and geometric patterns have graduated from being signatures of a Karaikudi mansion to being the ornamental pride of popular hotels in India and abroad.”

History

More than two decades ago arts boutique Kipling & Co Arts in Chennai had shared information to this reporter on how patterned Athangudi tiles were inspired by Victorian tiles in the United Kingdom, and how the tiles were later attempted to be made in Chettinadu. Originally tiles from Germany, England and Italy made their way into the homes of affluent Nattukotai Chettairs, but when the tiles were seen wearing away with time, fixing them became burdensome. That was when - more than 150 years ago - enterprising people of the area learnt tile-making for having a trademark of their own in Athangudi. The tiles processed were a blend of the originals and were expensive.

Chettinad splendour

The ethnic interior products supplied by restoration boutique Madhurya Creations in Bengaluru have an understated yet classic décor. Madhurya’s interior decorations bring reminiscences of the bungalows of Karaikudi where ancestral homes were owned by the mercantile community of Tamil Nadu. Pointing to the Chettinad treasures in the form of carved pillars, stained glass windows, Athangudi tiles and decorative doors at Madhurya’s workshop space, Bharathy Harish of Madhurya Creations says “Restoration being our motto, we can re-create homes with earthy decors more so with the Chettinad splendour. As we have our own Sri Sri Rural Development Programme (SSRDP) unit for manufacturing Athangudi tiles, we can supply them individually or take up a collective-décor package for homes bringing in pillars, Tanjore paintings, windows & doors, and the supply and laying of Athangudi floor tiles.”        

“River sand, white cement, natural colour oxides and water go into this distinctive traditional hand-processed tile that does not require electricity or any kind of firing. They are immersed in water for curing and dried in shade later,” says Mohan Iyer who heads the Athangudi production unit at SSRDP. “This unit was formally started in the end of 2021 under the guidance of Sri Ravishankar to encourage artisans from Athangudi to manually produce them in South Bengaluru to help locals source them and have the art remain in use. Only with increasing number of artisans will the art be practised. Today, with contemporary choices galore, it is a challenge to keep alive our indigenous hand-made craft and offer options to customers,” says Mr. Iyer, who has a civil maintenance and renovations background.