Watch | Snakebites for good fortune?

Scores of devotees thronged the temple of Veer Teja, a legendary folk hero, in Tonk in northwestern Rajasthan to celebrate a unique snake festival. They sang and danced to the sounds of drums and instruments holding snakes in their hands and receiving their bites, which is believed to cure ailments and bring good fortune. Hundreds of devotees from visit Rajasthan to witness the festival each year. Veer Teja or Tejaji was a legendary Rajasthani folk hero, also considered to be one of the major eleven incarnations of Lord Shiva.