Hundreds of Indian devotees took part in Agni Keli, a religious festival in which devotees try to set each other alight to appease a Hindu goddess.

Footage shows devotees hurling burning palm branches to each other on April 21.

The eight-day celebration takes place every April at Kateel temple town near Mangaluru city.

Holy water is immediately sprayed onto anyone who gets burned.

Unique rituals; Hindu Devotess throw burning torch  at each other  in  the tradition of 'Agni Kelly' in southern India.

The devotees at Kateel Durgaparameshwari temple get to witness a unique ritual of pleasing the Gods. As a part of eight-day festival at the temple, here two villagers  ( Athoor and Kodathoor) use burning palm fronds against each other to display their reverence to the deity.


The tradition which is known as ‘Agni Kheli’ or Thoothedhara (in Tulu)  is being carried out in the temple during the festival for centuries.

Agni Kheli usually takes place on the last day of the eight- day fest.

The two groups (Athoor and Kodathoor) facing one another from a distance of about 15 to 20 meters.  And The burning palm fronds are thrown at the opponent and he picks up and throws against the opposite group, not any individual. The people who suffer burns are sprayed with water of Kumkumarchane.

The Rituals was performed on 21 April at Kateel temple town located about 30 km away from Mangaluru city.

Devotess throw burning torch at each other in the tradition of 'Agni Kelly' in southern India.

The tradition of fire burns in the Durgapurameshwari temple in the heart of Karnataka is going on for centuries.

The scene of throwing a flaming torch on each other can shock anyone. But such a view is not new to those who visit the temple of Karnataka, in the Durgapuramvari temple. A tradition is played in the Durga Godi temple in which fire is thrown on each other and people do not care about their life in it. This tradition is celebrated as a festival for 8 days. This tradition is known as 'Agni Kali'.

Shri Durga Godi is situated in the temple complex. Its distance from Mangalore is just 26 km. This pilgrimage site coming to Karnataka state is 360 miles from Bangalore. This temple of Durga is situated on the banks of Nandini river. According to beliefs, this tradition named Agni Kali has been running for centuries. Tradition is between two villages of Tutur and Kaltur.

The Incident happened on 21 April.