Iruttukadai Halwa Shop - Tirunelveli

This restaurant offers an excellent wine halwa, a sweet dessert made entirely with ghee (clarified butter) and water from the Thamirabharani River. Surprisingly, the halwa remains delicious even after being opened for a month and stored in the refrigerator, needing only to be heated in a pan before serving. This treat is a specialty of Tirunelveli and has been a tradition for almost a century, passed down through three generations in a simple establishment that opens at 5pm on weekdays (closed on Sundays) and closes once the day's batch is sold, usually within 2-3 hours. There are many imitations of this halwa under names such as Iruttukkadai or Tirunelveli Halwa or Santhi Sweets, but none compare to the original. Other stores may use oils instead of ghee or not make the dessert fresh daily. The store used to only have a single light bulb (which is still the case today) and that's how it got its name, Iruttukkadai, meaning "the dark shop".

The halwa is less sweet. it's not like old days. the taste differs. the timing is 5 to 20 in the evening.

Located opposite the Nellaiappar Temple and right next to Santhi Sweetness, you'll find the renowned Iruttukadai Halwa Shop. A kilogram of halwa costs Rs260, but they don't offer it for just any reason - they pride themselves on the authentic taste and original quality of their halwa. At 4:30 in the evening, a self-regulated waiting queue forms in front of the shop. Customers can choose to wait peacefully in the queue or take their chances and try their luck without waiting. We were fortunate to get in without waiting. The women's waiting queue is separate, so seize the opportunity and don't miss out on this delicious halwa!

Iruttukadai halwa is the most famous abbot they will sell on 5 clk evening and it will close when their warehouse is sold completely.

I guess it is a tradition and an experience for those visiting Thirunelveli. But it is chaotic with no social distancing whatsoever.