Fancy some delicious mutton biryani for free?
Welcome to Tamil Nadu's Madurai district which hosts an unusual temple festival where mutton biryani is served as prasadam!
The village of Vadakkampatti in Thirumangalam taluk hosts a three-day festival at the Muniyandi Swami temple.
Over 2,000 kg of rice and mutton are cooked in huge cauldrons overnight by tireless men.
Locals believe that even their deity Lord Muniyandi is a fan of their biryani.
According to a report in The Hindu, over 200 goats and 250 roosters were sacrificed last year to make over 1,800 kg of biryani.
The village's biryani got so popular it formed the roots of the Madurai Sri Muniyandi Vilas restaurant chain.
The first Muniyandi Vilas was started in Karaikudi by SVS Subba Naidu from the village and his inspiration came from the festival, the report added.
The old restaurant has been a favourite since the '70s. At one point the restaurant had over 1000 branches across South India and was known for its variety of juicy mutton dishes.
All the restaurants contribute to the feast by keeping aside the money they receive from their first customer.
The festival was held from January 24 to 26 at Vadakkampatti, which is about 45 kilometres from Madurai city and 20 kilometres from Virudhunagar.