Athangudi Handmade Floor Tile Karaikudi Tamil Nadu

Athangudi tile is the handmade cement-pigment floor tile produced in Athangudi village in Karaikudi taluk of Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu, characteristic of the elaborate flooring of Chettinad mansions built by the Nattukotai Chettiar merchant community from the 1800s through the 1940s. The tile is made by pouring a mixture of river sand, white cement, and pigment into ornamental brass moulds on a glass plate, vibrating to remove air bubbles, topping with a plain grey cement backing layer, and curing under wet cloth for seven days. The 12-inch square tiles feature geometric, floral, and paisley patterns in 2 to 5 colours achieved by isolating colour zones within the mould using thin brass dividers. Authentic Athangudi tiles use natural mineral pigments including Prussian blue, chrome yellow, oxide red, and lamp black, and contain no synthetic polymers, making them breathable and cool to bare feet in hot weather. The Chettinad mansion floors requiring 10,000 to 50,000 tiles were laid by specialist tile contractors who prepared custom colour schemes for each household. As Chettinad mansions fell into disrepair from the 1970s, Athangudi tile production declined but revived from the 2000s driven by heritage architecture and boutique hotel renovation demand. Approximately 35 tile-making workshops in Athangudi village employ 300 to 400 artisans producing tiles for domestic and international heritage building projects.