Devotees sit in rows while a priest smashes coconuts over their heads as part of a thanksgiving festival in southern India.<br /><br />Footage filmed on August 4 in Mettu Mahadanapuram, Tamil Nadu, shows Hindu-Tamil worshippers during the annual Aadi Perukku festival undergoing the painful-looking ritual.<br /><br />More than 1,000 devotees took part in the practice at the Sri Mahalakshmi Temple as part of a celebration of the live-giving properties of water.<br /><br />The smashing of coconuts does cause injuries to members of the public who eschew medical treatment for fear of attracting the anger from the deity. <br /><br />Instead, helpers are on hand to apply sacred ash called "viboothi" and turmeric to wounds. <br /><br />The practice has drawn criticism from authorities such as the State Human Rights Commission due to the number of injuries sustained during the festival.
