Narrator: This deg, or cauldron,
located at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan, India,
is one of the largest in the world.
Donated by Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1567,
the deg measures 37 feet wide
and was made in such a way that the rim never gets hot,
even while the fire is ignited and the food is being cooked.
Here, volunteers are making 4,800 kilograms
of a sweet rice dish called zarda
to feed the 20,000 to 25,000 devotees
who visit the shrine each day.
Keeping a watchful eye over the cooking process
is Syed Mujahid Ahmed Chishti,
who is also in charge of tending to the devotees.
Narrator: We visited the shrine
to see how they make this sweet prasad
in such big batches.
Before any food is made, volunteers must empty the cauldron
of donations left by pilgrims,
which could include money, rice, lentils,
or other groceries that the temple can use
to make the prasad.
Then it's time to start cooking.
Making this dish is time-intensive
and begins by lighting a wood fire underneath the deg.
There are four openings around the deg,
and 50 kilograms of wood is kept at each one
to keep the fire going strong.
The devotees who have sponsored that day's meal
then gather around the cauldron
to help with the dish's preparation.
First, they fill the cauldron with 4,000 liters of water.
They also add jugs of saffron water and rose water,
which help add a depth of flavor to the finished dish.
Narrator: Once the mixture starts to boil,
volunteers carry bags of sugar up to the cauldron platform
and pour them inside.
Then it's time to stir the mixture,
which is easier said than done.
Since the deg measures 37 feet wide and 15 feet deep,
it takes at least four volunteers
to maneuver a large wooden oar.
Two people push and pull on the wooden handle
while across the cauldron,
two people use ropes that are attached to the bottom.
They move in tandem with each other to establish a rhythm.
Volunteers then add in over 1,100 kilograms of rice
and multiple cans of ghee.
They continue to stir the mixture until it thickens
and reaches a smooth consistency.
Narrator: Dry fruits and nuts like cashews, almonds,
and pistachios are added as a final touch
before the dish is ready to be served.
Narrator: That volunteer will wear special shoe covers
that are cleaned before each meal.
They scoop the rice with buckets
and pass them along a line to fill large steel barrels.
Once these are full,
volunteers scoop the sweet prasad into small bowls
and hand them out to hungry pilgrims.
Narrator: The deg and the tomb
both have an incredible history.
Narrator: But the cauldron is only filled to capacity
on special occasions or when the number of devotees
at the dargah is very high.
On most days, the temple uses a second, smaller cauldron
known as the choti deg,
which was donated by Akbar's son Jehangir in 1613.
Yet, regardless of which cauldron is used,
thousands of pilgrims visit this sacred site every day
to eat the prasad and seek the blessings of the saint.