A group of Hindu devotees in western India fulfilled a strange religious vow by dipping their hands in pots of boiling oil.

The terrifying test of faith occurred at a temple near Kumta in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, India, on October 24.

Devotees of the goddess Kamakshi Devi temple lined up to dip their bare hands in boiling oil and fish out ‘vadas,’ a local snack, which were being fried in the oil. The vadas were then offered to the Goddess as an offering.

As they performed the ‘miraculous’ feat, many watching the spectacle were said to have slipped into a trance.

Devotees of the temple believe that the Goddess will help them solve their problems if they take a vow to dip their hands in boiling oil as a test of faith.

This test is performed every year on full moon days in October, as devotees gather for the festival to fulfil their vows.

A local government official described the tradition as harmless, saying: “They take out their hands quickly, so no one gets hurt.”