Locals in southern India wield swords as they celebrate traditional festival

Locals in Puttur, Karnataka wielded swords as they celebrated the traditional Otte Kola festival on February 15.

A priest is seen handing out swords to the devotees gathered in a temple.

Locals in Puttur, Karnataka wielded swords as they celebrated the traditional Otte Kola festival on February 15.

A priest is seen handing out swords to the devotees gathered in a temple.

They then followed a man dressed in folk attire and an elaborately decorated headgear to a pile of burning charcoal.

A traditional dance was then performed seeing the devotees flipping each other into the pile of charcoal.