Indian villagers take part in extreme body piercing to protect them from chickenpox - video

Thread is pierced through participants skin while traditional music is played

The men pierce their bodies with thread as they chant songs and dance to traditional music (ITN)

Villagers in India have been filmed taking part in an annual ritual of extreme body piercing that they say helps to protect them against infections and diseases like chicken pox.

During the “Hanuman Jayanti” ceremony that takes place on the full moon in the Hindu month of Chaitra, which usually falls around March and April, villagers of the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh province can be seen piercing their bodies with thread as they chant songs and dance to traditional music.

Devdas a local villager explained: ”This is an old tradition followed by our ancestors. This is followed to cure all kinds of diseases mainly chicken pox. There are elders in the village with marks of chicken pox on their face in this village and so that can be cured.“