Villagers worship rare turtle

Kendrapara, Nov 6 : Since last Thursday, the inhabitants of Khadipala and its nearby villages under Pattamundai block of the district have been worshipping a rare fresh water turtle, believing it as an incarnation of Lord Jagannath.

The villagers believed the turtle as the incarnation of Lord Jagannth as the top of the turtle was marked with a symbol that looked like the eyes of the Lord Jagannath.

One Ramesh Patra, an inhabitant of Khadipala, caught the turtle from a nearby river and brought it home.

Later, he discovered the marks.

A senior officer of the Bhitarkanika National Park said the turtle was an Indian Soft shell Turtle (Aspideretes Gangeticus) and was one of the most critically endangered species of fresh water turtles in the country.

Many residents were seen standing in queue to have a glimpse of the rare turtle and to worship it, believing that it would bring good fortune.

According to Hindu mythology, after the great flood, around four billion years ago, Lord Vishnu transformed himself into a great turtle.

''This is one of those mythical species that people always talked about, but no one ever saw it, so it's hugely significant that we found this lone turtle in the wild,'' a forest official said.

''It gives a ray of hope for a species that is on the verge of extinction,'' the official added.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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