Hundreds of devotees gathered this week to celebrate Agni Keli, a religious ritual that takes place every year in which devotees try to set each other on fire to appease a Hindu goddess.

The firefight took place in Kateel, Mangalore, on Sunday (April 22).

Devotees hurl burning palm fronds at one another in order to appease the Hindu goddess Durga.

Footage shows the scantily clad men setting palm fronds alight and throwing them to each other in a display of their reverence to the deity.

The eight-day celebration takes place every April at the Kateel Durga Parameswari Temple.

The devotees who take part in the firefight split into two groups and face each other from a distance of 30 to 50 feet. Then, armed with a hefty supply of burning palm frond torches, they throw the torches, trying to hit as many devotees from the opposing group.

If any worshippers suffer any burns, they are immediately sprayed with holy water.

The entire ritual lasts around 15 minutes.  

Agni Keli, also known as the Fire Fight of Kateel Durga Parameswari Temple, in Mangalore, India, is a unique ritual which has hundreds of devotees throwing burning palm fronds at each other, to appease the Hindu goddess Durga.Every year, the Festival of Kateel Durga Parameswari Temple is celebrated over 8 days in the month of April.Hundreds of devotees gather at the temple of Durga, in Mangalore, to carry out a centuries-old tradition that involves throwing and getting hit with burning palm fronds. The fiery action attracts thousands of spectators, who watch as the torch-wielding men try to set each other ablaze.The devotees who take part in the fire fight split into two groups and face each other from a distance of 10 – 15 meters. Armed with a hefty supply of burning palm frond torches, they start throwing them at each other, trying to hit as many devotees from the opposing group. To prevent serious burns, the men only wear pieces of cloth around their lower body, but they are often set ablaze during the fiery ritual. If a person suffers any burns, they are sprayed with water.