Madurai is famous in south India for its food. The signatures are Madurai-style biryani (lighter, fresher than Hyderabadi), jigarthanda (a milk-and-rose drink with china-grass jelly), and the spicy "Pandyan" mutton dishes served late into the night at the small "messes" around the temple. Eat with your hands off banana leaves at lunch, drink lots of buttermilk, and don't skip the local sweet shops.