Hundreds of people attended annual Nag Panchami festival on Friday in Samastipur, located in the state of Bihar, as the worshippers were seen carrying venomous snakes during the procession.

Footage shows locals marching through the streets of the city with the reptiles on their necks as well as diving in a local river during the event.

"Thousands of devotees come here every year to attend and see this festival. The devotees are not just from Bihar; people who stay outside of Bihar in Assam, west Bengal, Delhi, and Mumbai are all coming here for this festival. Not only devotees but even media from all over come here to cover this festival," explained Pankaj Patha, one of the event attendees.

According to local media reports, participants have been collecting snakes from all over the district for a fortnight and storing them in pots in anticipation of the procession.

Although snake catching is illegal in India, locals ignore the rules and hold the festival every year in the lunar month of Shravan. At the end of the festival, the snakes are released back into the forest.

The Nag Panchami festival sees spell casters and their disciples celebrate the victory of the Hindu God Lord Krishna over the Kaliya Nag (the black cobra).

According to Hindu mythology, the Hindu god Lord Krishna emerged victorious in his encounter with Kaliya Nag, a venomous serpent, after being attacked by Kaliya near the Yamuna River while playing.

Recognizing Krishna's divine nature, the snake and his wives pleaded for mercy. Upon their pledge to cease troubling the inhabitants of Gokul, Krishna spared their lives. Nag Panchami is commemorated to honour Krishna's triumph over Kaliya Nag.

The ritual is believed to help chase away evil and nullify bad karma. Nag Panchami is celebrated by thousands of people across the country.