Two sisters from a small village in eastern India have gained fame for their ability to eat over a pound of chilies at a time, the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) said on Tuesday.

Eighteen month old Tuni and her three-year-old sister Punita began eating chilies "like berries" while helping out on the family farm. At first, they ate from 20 to 50 chilies a day, but later the number increased.

Their proud father Sasank Sen said he hoped the girls would get into the Guinness Book of World Records, however, drinking and eating records were stopped in 2007 over concerns that competitors could harm themselves.

Pediatricians warn that eating such a large amount of chilies could harm the girls' health.

Nevertheless, the unique children, have become celebrities in their region, famous for its chili-cultivating traditions, and hundreds of visitors flock to see them.

"The most astonishing thing about the girls is that they don't get hiccups or even a tear while consuming the chilies," the newindpress.com portal quoted a visitor as saying.