Scores of Indian devotees took to the streets of Bihar’s Samastipur to participate in a procession that sees them carrying hundreds of snakes.<br /><br />The bizarre religious procession is part of Nag Panchami, a festival celebrated by thousands of people across India in the month of July or August.<br /><br />During Nag Panchami, snakes are worshipped and offered milk, sweets and flowers.<br /><br />Footage shows men holding dozens of snakes in a bid to ward off evil and dodge bad karma as they walk to a temple where they will ‘receive the blessings’ from the snakes.<br /><br />The snakes are caught two weeks beforehand in order to be paraded as a part of the festivities. Sometimes, these snakes are pulled out from their snake holes using sticks and kept in pots ahead of the procession.<br /><br />Snakes have a significant place in Hindu mythology and people worship them to appease the gods.
