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Hundreds of people queued to be 'cleansed' by guinea pigs in a bizarre ritual ahead of New Year's Eve.

Spiritual well-wishers in Lima, Peru, lined the streets as they waited to meet shaman Maria Ramos in a bid to cure and prevent diseases ahead of 2020.

Locals attended the Feria de los Deseos, also known as the 'Fare of Wishes', on Monday.

Huge crowds of residents patiently waited to be greeted by Maria, who uses rare guinea pigs during the ceremony.

She said: "A cleansing with the black guinea pig to take out the bad energies, the bad vibes, has always been done by our ancestors."

Video shows Maria placing a squeaking pup over a woman's head, then moving it around the arms and chest.

The guinea pig is meant to crawl on the patient and diagnose the problem.

Afterwards the shaman rubs the guinea pig on the woman and the illness should disappear.

Well-wishers can also have their fortune read for a fee or buy charms representing their wishes for 2020.

Fake Euros and dollar bills inscribed with personal messages, miniature plastic houses, cars and baby dolls were thrown at a statue of the Aymaran God of abundance Ekeko.

The traditional Feria de los Deseos is held annually in the Peruvian capital.

It is dedicated to good luck charms, spiritual cleansing and practices designed to grant wishes ahead of the New Year.