Seemingly ‘possessed' women perform bizarre feats at Indian temple of exorcism

Seemingly ‘possessed' women perform bizarre feats at Indian temple of exorcism

A temple in south India is becoming popular for its perceived power to 'exorcise spirits' from women who are allegedly possessed.

Families of many "possessed women" take them to Dattatreya Temple in Ganagapura in Afzalpur taluk, Karnataka.

Eyewitnesses say the women who are "possessed" gain supernatural strength and perform extraordinary feats.

A video shot by a local reporter on December 26, 2019, shows a few women performing strange acrobatics in the temple rafters, though their families claimed they had no training for it.

The temple gets particularly crowded on days before a new moon when it is believed these spirits gain in power and worried families head to the temple.

Experts speculate these women could be suffering from undiagnosed mental issues which, in the absence of adequate treatment facilities, are taken as signs of possession by their families.