Even a simple wall with kaavi (red ochre) stripes on a white background is a pleasing sight. Usually, such walls surround temples and associated structures. You may find them in the narrowest of lanes in Madras. Here is one from Villivakkam.
Red ochre (kaavi in Tamil / Malayalam / Telugu /Kannada and Geru in Hindi) is a natural occurring ore and one of the earliest pigments known to man. Ayurveds also attribute certain healing properties to it.
Madras Nalla Madras. A photo blog on Madras, that is Chennai 