Would you brave a pandemic to stand in queue for hours to buy biryani? While many of us would answer with a resounding no, everyone does not agree. Case in point, the 1.5 km long line in Karnataka's Hoskote where happy customers say that the food is "worth the wait".
In a video that was shared by news agency ANI, a massive line can be seen stretching for as far as the camera can pan. There are no chaotic scenes or jostling, and most people appear to be wearing masks and maintaining their spot in the queue. However, the recommended social distancing norms seem to be missing.
Photos also show a crowd gathered in front of the eatery even as others peek out of parked cars. "I came here at 4 am, but got my order at 6:30 am, as there's a long queue of about 1.5 km for biryani. The food is too delicious, it's worth the wait," the agency quoted a customer as saying.
The shop in question however is unfazed. Their biryani has become the stuff of legends, and according to the owner of the eatery, thousands of of kilograms of biryani is served in one day. "We opened this stall around 22 years ago. No kind of preservative is put in our biryani," he adds.
This is not an isolated incident. As per a report by The News Minute from the end of September, the famous Anand Dum Biryani outlet has seen a massive surge in demand since reopening after COVID-19 lockdown rules were eased. It is located about 25 kilometers away from the city centre in Bengaluru and many leave in the pre-dawn gloom to ensure that they can get themselves a plateful. According to the owner, there has been an estimated 20% rise in sales.
It is not just those standing in the queue. As the visuals went viral, many have taken to social media platforms to appreciate the biryani outlet. Others however mourned the possible health risks these people were taking.
