Amazing Athangudi..!!!

Athangudi is a word, that brings radiant flashy colours to mind...!!!! Recently, the word athangudi is also gaining importance with respect to Chettinad Food..!!!



And this Post is specifically a Write up on Athangudi Tiles..,

Every time you enter a chettinadu house, one of the prominent feature that captures the viewer's attention is the floor. This floor, with unique traditional patterns have been adding colours to the interiors for years. These tiles are popularly called as "The athangudi tiles" with their name depicting the place of origin. The athangudi tiles are 19th century innovation. They are the successors to the age old terracotta floor tiles. They are made  in the cottage industries in and around the village of athangudi in chettinaadu.

The athangudi tiles come in bright colours of Red, Yellow, blue, green etc.. They have rich patterns both floral and geometric. The patterns are designed in such a way, that the tile looks unique as a single piece and also creates  exquisite patterns when laid.  There is an extensive use of contrast. The colour white is used as a background to highlight motifs. In later years along with white, colours like grey and black were also explored specially to create optical illusions.

Unlike the other flooring materials of today, the athangudi tiles are still hand made by the craftsmen. This fact makes them more special when compared to the monotonous looking machine made tiles of today. The tiles are made out of local clay with additives like cement and Coloured oxides. They are made in a mould with a specific pattern. The oxides are used to finish the mould in the respective colours. A piece of clear glass in size of the mould is kept on the pattern to create glossy finish. 

The athangudi tiles are not only found in the chettinaadu region, but they are used all over the world. In contemporary applications the bright terracotta red tiles are most favoured by architects. A plain red floor with a contrasting border can be found in the modern domestic buildings of today.

Athangudi tiles are used to create heritage interiors and they have become an icon of their own. When compared to most of the modern materials today, athangudi tiles are equally durable and they are much more attractive. They are finished with a wax polish and they keep gaining a shine with years of use. They are very easy to maintain and replace, and come in an extremely affordable cost. The use of athangudi tiles today will greatly support the number of cottage industries in the chettinaadu region.

Athangudi tiles also come in 'modern' designs to appeal the consumers of today. These tiles are specially meant for indoor use. In our earlier research, we have tried the outdoor application of these tiles in medium traffic areas. The innovation aimed at creating a textured pattern on the athangudi tiles which will make it more durable and non slippery. The plain terracotta red athangudi tiles are made in the mould and are covered with a textured glass instead of a plain glass. Unlike plain glass, the textured one transfers its pattern to the tile instead of the gloss. These tiles were custom made by the craftsmen of athangudi and were laid in the corridors of Konnaiyur MuthuMariamman Temple at Koppanapatti.  We achieved a reduction in cost and revival of the craft to suit the modern day needs in this project. Reach Chettinaadu greatly looks forward to create more contemporary work with athangudi tiles, in the future projects