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Walk through the bylanes of any old Indian village, from the sunburnt coastlines of Goa to the lush hills of Wayanad, and you will spot it. Sloped, red-tiled roofs gleaming under the sun, their clay ridges perfectly aligned to shrug off the monsoon rains.

These roofs are more than just picturesque, they are masterclasses in vernacular architecture, blending climate sensitivity with local materials and timeless wisdom.

Made with terracotta or Mangalore tiles, these sloped roofs are built atop homes that use mud, lime plaster, or even cow dung in their walls. You’ll find these houses standing firm for decades, often cooler in summer and leakproof in the heaviest rain. It’s an elegant design solution born out of necessity, resilience, and deep connection with the land.

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