Indian teachers called an exorcist after claiming they saw a few girl students behaving abnormally in a school in eastern India.

Teachers of Chatikona Government Upper Primary School near Rayagada, Odisha, said three girls studying in class 7 and 8 started behaving hysterically after lunch on December 7.

The girls reportedly wept inconsolably, danced and even threw up.

The teaches inquired and found that the girls had been playing under a banyan tree in the school yard during the lunch break.

Banyan trees are considered haunted in popular Indian folklore, and so fearing that the evil spirits from the tree had taken possession of the girls, the teachers called a shaman to exorcise them.

The affected girls reportedly started acting normally after the shaman took them to the banyan tree and performed a few rituals to drive away the spirits. Teachers then called the parents and sent the girls home.

Moments later, two more girls started behaving in the same way saying they had also played under the same banyan tree. Teachers again called another exorcist to cure the possessed girls.

But they panicked when the girls failed to respond to the rituals and fainted. They called an ambulance and shifted shift the girls to a government hospital, where they recovered.

State education officials stated the school is located in a tribal area, which is rife with superstitious beliefs, but have otherwise not issued any formal condemnation.

Indian teachers called an exorcist after they saw a few girl students behaving abnormally in a school near Rayagada in eastern India.

Teachers of Chatikona Government Upper Primary School said three girls studying in class 7 and 8 started behaving hysterically after lunch on December 7. The girls reportedly wept inconsolably, danced and even threw up.

They inquired and found that the girls had been playing under a banyan tree in the school yard during the lunch break.

Banyan trees are considered haunted in popular Indian folklore, and so fearing that the evil spirits from the tree had taken possession of the girls, the teachers called a shaman to exorcise them.

The affected girls reportedly started acting normally after the shaman took them to the banyan tree and performed a few rituals to drive away the spirits. Teachers then called the parents and sent the girls home.

Moments later, two more girls started behaving in the same way saying they had also played under the same banyan tree. Teachers again called another exorcist to cure the possessed girls.

But they panicked when the girls failed to respond to the rituals and fainted. They called an ambulance and shifted shift the girls to a government hospital, where they recovered.

State education officials said the school is located in a tribal area, which is rife with superstitious beliefs.