This festival held in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, sees devotees pull a large truck using hooks that pierced their backs.

The devotees would walk 2 kilometres from one temple to another pulling the vehicle during the festival known locally as koozhvarkum thiruvizha which celebrates the Hindu goddess Gangai Amman.

Some are seen dangling from the truck, only held up by hooks that have impaled their skin.

Senthamarai, one of the devotee's sisters, said: "It doesn’t hurt when their bodies are pierced, they do it happily for god. Even my brother is amongst one of them who is getting his back pierced and he is doing it eagerly."

As the Goddess granted their wishes men in South India pierced backs with hooks and roped vehicles and chariots. As they pulled the vehicles, other devotees cheered them on.

During the event, devotees walk from one temple to another. It would be a distance of 2 km. Throughout the march, they beat drums, chant, dance and make way for the other devotees who have pierced their bodies to walk behind them.

“It doesn’t hurt when their bodies are pierced, they do it happily for god. Even my brother is amongst one of them who is getting his back pierced and he is doing it eagerly". Says the sister of a devotee.