Scores of Indian devotees took to the streets of Bihar’s Samastipur to participate in a procession that sees them carrying hundreds of snakes.

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.

During Nag Panchami, snakes are worshipped and offered milk, sweets and flowers.

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.

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.

Snakes have a significant place in Hindu mythology and people worship them to appease the gods.