Watch: Devotees whip themselves with ropes in self-flagellation ritual

ANI video grab

CHENNAI: Scores of devotees whipped themselves with ropes as part of a ritual at Poosaripalayam's Adaikalamman Temple in Tamil Nadu.

In a video shared by news agency ANI, several male devotees, painted in sandalwood powder and garland around their neck, are seen engrossed in dancing on the beats of the instruments and whipping themselves.

#WATCH: Devotees whip themselves with ropes as a part of ritual at Poosaripalayam's Adaikalamman Temple. #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/EeqeyzAWhG — ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2017

As per the villagers, the ritual has been being performed in the temple for the past 800 years and it all started when a washerman picked a wooden box from a nearby river flowing in the opposite direction.

The villagers said there was a statue, a whipping rope, a bow and an arrow in the box, which was kept inside the Adaikalamman temple.

Following this incident, the villagers started to celebrate this day with a belief to attain 'divine power' and for the welfare of the village.

According to another report, the ritual of self-flagellation is carried out by villagers of Coimbatore to worship goddess Adaikala Amman, a form of Hindu Goddess Kali. 

Women too took part in the festival by walking in the procession but the self-flagellation was carried out only by men.