Athangudi Tile-Making Craft Cluster

The Athangudi Tile-Making Craft Cluster is a traditional handmade tile production centre in Athangudi village, Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu, in the Chettinad region. Renowned for vibrant, patterned cement tiles known as Athangudi or Chettinad tiles, the cluster comprises small family-run workshops. Established in the early 20th century, the craft uses cement, sand, pigments and glass on glass-topped tables, sustaining local artisan livelihoods and Chettinad architectural heritage.

Visitors can expect small, family-run workshops with open sheds where artisans hand-pour coloured cement and sand mixtures into patterned metal stencils on large glass tables. You can watch the layering, pressing, curing and polishing process, see vibrant floral and geometric designs, glass pieces and finished tiles drying in the sun, and browse display areas for ready-made and custom tiles. The setting is a rural village with simple workshop structures surrounded by Chettinad houses.