Locals in Puttur, Karnataka wielded swords as they celebrated the traditional Otte Kola festival on February 15.

A priest is seen handing out swords to the devotees gathered in a temple.

They then followed a man dressed in folk attire and an elaborately decorated headgear to a pile of burning charcoal.

A traditional dance was then performed seeing the devotees flipping each other into the pile of charcoal.

Locals rejoiced while celebrating 'Otte Kola', a traditional festival, in southern India's Karnataka on February 15. The incident took place in a village in the Puttur region, located in the Dakshina Kannada district.

Visuals witnessing the incident feature the festivities ensuing in the region.

A priest worships a deity decorated with garlands and hands out sword-like objects to the devotees, gathered at the temple in traditional attires.

The men then walk towards a field carrying the weapons led by a man wearing folk attire, an elongated and elaborately decorated headgear, and several garlands.

Upon reaching the clearing, the local dances to the traditional beats playing in the background.

Following this, a local wearing a dress fashioned from leaves entered the field and started performing. He blessed the devotees and began dancing around a heap of burning charcoal.

He performed the traditional folk dance by flipping and falling onto the charcoal while two men helped him up each time. Meanwhile, the attendees gathered around to behold the experience.

The Dakshina Kannada district is known for its unique culture of worshipping demigods and displaying their faith in the deity. 'Otte Kola' is one such tradition that involves dancing on burning charcoal. The locals believe that the tradition blesses them with good crops and healthy produce.