Villagers worship rare turtle in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Nov 7 : Hundreds of villagers in Orissa's Kendrapada district have been worshipping a rare turtle since Thursday as it has eyes similar to that of a Hindu deity, a forest official said Saturday.

The turtle was brought Thursday to Khadipala village, about 150 km from here, by Ramesh Patra from a nearby river. It has been kept in a village temple in a water container.

The residents lined up Friday and Saturday to have a glimpse of the turtle in the belief that it will bring good fortune.

"The villagers are worshipping the turtle because it has marks on its carapace which look similar to the eyes of lord Jagannath - the state's presiding deity," Patra said.

It is an Indian soft shell turtle - one of the most critically endangered species of fresh water turtles in the country - said a state forest department official.

In Hindu mythology, sea turtles are described as an incarnation of god.

"The turtle would be shifted to the Nandankanan zoo soon and would be conserved," the forest official said.

The coastal district of Kendrapada is home to one of the world's largest rookeries of sea turtles.