Craft in Architecture: Terracotta Teliya Bricks & Paving Tiles

These special kind of bricks and paving tiles are called chikan appa, implying that they are made of oil. Although no oil is actually used in their making, their smooth and glossy surface appears to have a coat of oil. Specimens of these teliya (tel = oil) bricks and paving tiles - with their characteristic red, smooth, and shiny surfaces still intact - can still be seen in old temples, houses, and courtyards.