Indian villagers threw cow dung on each other during a day-long festival immediately after Diwali, also called Deepavali.

They also smeared themselves with the dung as part of the Gore Habba festival, in the village of Gumatapura in Chamarajanagar district, on the border of Tamil Nadu and Karnatka states.

The faeces free-for-all began once the ‘kondigekara’ or ‘chadikora’ (one who carries tales) arrived and the temple priest offered pooja (worshipful ritual) to the pile of dung.

The dung is highly revered by the local deity, Kare Eshwaraswamy, according to the villagers, who collect the dung and dump it behind the temple.

Punishing liars by making them sit on a donkey is also a part of Gore Habba.

The ritual of throwing cow dung at one another during Deepavali has existed in this village for centuries.

The preparations for the festival start with people piling up hillocks of dung at the local Beerappa temple.

Village elders claim the ritual strengthens the bond between people.

villagers throw cow dung on each other and smear themselves with the dung during a day-long festival immediately after Deepavali. Called ‘Gore Habba,’ In the village of Gumatapura in Chamarajanagar district.

The free-for-all begins once the ‘kondigekara’ or ‘chadikora’ (one who carries tales) arrives and the temple priest offers pooja to the pile of dung. The dung is highly revered by the local deity Kare Eshwaraswamy, according to the villagers, who collect the dung and dump it behind the temple. Punishing liars by making them sit on a donkey is also a part of Gore Habba.

The ritual of throwing cow dung at one another during Deepavali has existed in this village for centuries. The preparations for the festival start with people piling up hillocks of dung at the local Beerappa temple. Village elders claim the ritual strengthens the bond between people.