Athangudi Calling

Words by Ramkumar Nair
Photographed by Naveen Sekar

Phantasmagoria - a sequence of real or imaginary images like those seen in a dream - this was the word I had noted down from Google to use in my article that you are reading, during my overnight bus journey to Athangudi. At the end of this journey and my article, I surrendered to the simplicity and tranquility that my Athangudi experience was. Even a pretentious 'phantasmagoria' found no place in my story to explain the Athangudi experience, which is best described as my Athangudi calling.

We set forth on our journey to a small village, to discover art, experience imagination and enjoy the vibe. Instead we lived in the aura of Athangudi and for a few hours, became denizens of it.  Athangudi is known for the very famous Athangudi Tiles. An ingenious and intricate process combined with artistry in design and colours make them extremely sought after. These works of art, just like the art itself, are well known for longevity and fine ageing. Several palaces are adorned by these tiles for centuries and are still as evocative as ever. Athangudi is 70 Kms from Kaaraikudi, which is 417 Kms from Chennai the place I call home.

We landed in Athangudi and were immediately welcomed by Malarmanickam. Little did we know that the next few hours will unfold leaving us city folk touched. "You can stay at my son-in-law's house, no one will disturb you there. It's empty," she said before literally surrendering the house to us and proceeding to serve us breakfast. Such acts of kindness were outlandish to us Chennai folks. I couldn't think of a time when we would offer our homes to others we barely knew or maybe even knew. Like a fish in an aquarium, I was slowly placed in the warmth and comfort of Athangudi.

We sat down to have a conversation with Malarmanickam, who owned a tile making unit and was also the President of the Panchayat in Athangudi. It quickly dawned on us that behind that extremely kind and generous persona 'she be the boss' around here. "I started this tile making unit here because I was born and raised right here in Athangudi in the midst of generations of tile making. I know everything about the craft there is.". 

Tile making here dates back several centuries and their efforts to retain the artistry is sterling. Athangudi has strived over generations to nurture and retain the tradition in its manufacturing and compassion in its people. "This is the Athangudi challenge" Malarmanickam explains. "The tiles that we make today can most certainly stand the test of time just like the ones that exist today which were made 100 years ago". She prided herself on the quality and calibre of the tiles made in Athangudi. 

The tile making process is elaborate and sequential that begins with glass panes being scrubbed clean. A mould of a particular design that is preferred by the clients is placed on the glass pane. Different colours are then poured into the mould and various designs and shapes are formed by the artist on those colours. Once the intricate designs are laid out, it is sealed in a mixture of cement, the traditional Kolam and aboriginal Athangudi sand. It is let  to set overnight and immersed in a pool of water for almost a week. The tiles are finally removed from the pool and the glass panes are removed to reveal the splendor that will last a lifetime. I tried my hand at making these tiles only for those five minutes to become a travesty of the ancient art form. Everyone who made these tiles had a sense of assiduity in their approach.

We went  with Manian Anna, Malarmanickam's brother and our primary point of contact who took us to Athangudi Periya Veedu , a hundred year old palatial house that incorporated the Athangudi tiles and artwork and is a proud attestation of the craft. An entire article can be written about my few hours at this abode alone, and I went ahead and did exactly that.

The hospitality was beyond our comprehension and Manian Anna's keenness to show us Athangudi in its entirety propelled us to explore as much as possible.

So we took off, Manian Anna, Camera Wiz Naveen and myself along with all our equipment on a Splendor bike in what was a death defying coup to various tile making units. We witnessed different people making various designs and tiles. There were few small ones and few reasonably sized units. However, one common facet to all the units was the tile making process which did not change at all, which in fact has not changed for centuries.

We probed in a little further to find out what made these tiles so favoured. As it turns out, these tiles are more expensive than granite or marble itself and have also garnered international repute and market. "The sand here plays the most important role in making these tiles, nowhere else in the world will you find this sand," says Manian Anna during another one of our motor stunts.

Next on his list was the famous Shiva Temple. We sat along the temple pond marvelling at its radiance and the village sun setting behind it. Aye, even the sunset around here had a penetrating undertone which made me feel like I belonged. It stopped being about the article and the writer but more about the experience and the person.

Night fell and our physical time at Athangudi was drawing to a close. We bid goodbye to Manian Anna and Malarmanickam and her entire family, who went out of the way to make us feel at home. I took back a tile to show the folks back home.

As we left for Kaaraikudi and headed back to what I called  'home' I could not help but wonder the kinship I felt with this tiny village and everything it stood for. With Athangudi fading behind me and the commission to narrate the tale to my readers ahead , I truly fathomed what I picked up 14 hours before, I finally understood Phantasmagoria.