Hindu devotees in the western state of India on Friday began burning woods and herbs in a three-day ceremony which they say would cleanse the environment and help heal the ozone layer. The move has drawn anger from activists who warn of the detrimental effects of the ceremony.

The organizers of the ceremony say that smoke from the sacred fire will kill mosquitoes and other harmful insects preventing diseases like dengue and malaria.

But the green campaigners warned the thick blanket of smoke was not going to do any good to the environment and instead would pose a serious health hazard. They dismissed the belief as mere an act of "madness."

"Such foolish acts will weaken the ozone layer," activist Subhas Dutta, who has filed the court petition to stop the ceremony, told AP. "The madness must be stopped."

The ceremony is organized by Gayatri Janakalyan Kendra, a group which believes in the benefits of ancient Hindu philosophy.

With hundreds of priests chanting verses from Hindu scriptures and tons of sandal wood and herbs being poured into more than a thousand fire pits, devotees believe the mass ceremony or "yagna" would please the gods, who would in turn bless the region with health and purify the surroundings.