As face masks have become an essential item amid the Covid-19 pandemic, enter prata masks.
Prata masks for sale
The South Indian city of Madurai in the Chennai has been experiencing a recent spike in active Covid-19 cases.
In response to the worrying trend, Temple City, a restaurant in Madurai decided to raise awareness about the pandemic by introducing parottas in the shape of a face mask.
Parottas are Indian flatbreads commonly known as roti prata in Singapore and roti canai in Malaysia.
The prata masks look like this:
Encouraging people to wear masks
Temple City's owner, KL Kumar said that the idea came about after seeing many people flout rules regarding the wearing of masks even though it had been made mandatory in the city.
A minimum fine of Rs 200 ($3.70) was put in place since June 16, 2020 for those who were caught not wearing masks in public places.
"I wanted to do something from our end to raise awareness about face covers," he told Times Of India over a phone interview.
The edible masks cost Rs 50 (S$0.90) each, roughly the same price as an average plate of prata from the restaurant.
Kumar said that the goal was not only to get people to take photos and spread awareness about it, but also to get people used to the concept of masks.
He added that the restaurant gives a free face mask to anyone who came to the restaurant without one.
While he previously only opened for service in the evening, ever since the prata masks went viral, Kumar told Times Of India that they've started serving breakfast as well due to the overwhelming requests for orders.
"As long as the person who is ordering it is wearing a mask, there's no problem," he said heartily.
Top image via @awesomemachi/Twitter