Thousands attend festival to be exorcised

Thousands of people have flocked to a 250-year old temple fair in central India to be exorcised of ghosts.

The "possessed" are brought before Hindu priests in Malajpur in Madhya Pradesh.

The priests are trained to deal with exorcisms and sprinkle holy water to bring the demons under control.

The Times of India says there are about 200 priests in the village.

Head priest Chandra Singh Mahant said two trees in the temple grounds were home to "hundreds of thousands of ghosts who have been expelled from human bodies."

The annual fair is held in honour of a saint Guru Deoji who lived in the 1700s. Locals believe the saint had supernatural powers and could perform miracles.

It's reported that 11 months after they buried the saint alive at his own request, a foetus of an unborn child was found. The foetus was re-buried.

The fair is expected to attract about 100,000 visitors by the time it finishes at February 6.