Bhoota Kola is a type of spirit worship practiced in areas like Karnataka and Tulu Nadu. In Bhoota Kola, a person will be designated to be possessed by a spirit. This person will dress in a colorful costume and put on bright makeup made from plant extract. In addition, this person will put on a skirt made of palm leaves.  Drummers and other musicians gather and play music. As the music plays, the possessed person will dance to the beat of the music. If you watch the video, there may be more than one person possessed by a spirit. When they are being possessed, they may go into a trance that makes their bodies shake:

Before the person dresses up as a spirit, this person will purify their bodies with oil and mentally prepare themselves for the spirit possession. It’s believed that the spirit will speak through the possessed person. Therefore, the possessed person will act and speak as if he is the spirit. The possessed person will offer advice or bless the villagers through the spirit. The villagers worship the spirit to ask for the spirit’s protection of the village. Special requests like bringing drain in a drought season or asking for the good health of the elders are common petitions from the villagers.

The spirits are thought to be good spirits that protect the village. The spirits may range from being attendants of Shiva, to mother goddesses to heroes from mythology and Indian folklore. In order to invoke the spirit, the person who will be possessed may accessorize himself with swords, bells and other items. In the video below, swords were used to invoke the spirit. Also in the video, you can see that a shrine was created and decorated with flowers and an image of the spirit.