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This turtle has been confined by poor Hindu villagers who say it is the incarnation of Lord Jagannath, a popular Hindu deity - Source: Reuters
Hundreds of poor Hindu villagers in eastern India have refused
to hand over a rare turtle to authorities, saying it is an
incarnation of God, officials said.
Villagers chanting hymns and carrying garlands, bowls of rice and
fruits are pouring in from remote villages to a temple in
Kendrapara, a coastal district in eastern Orissa state.
Policemen have struggled to control the gathering and have failed
to persuade the villagers to give up the sea turtle.
"We have asked the villagers to hand it over as it is illegal to
confine a turtle, but they are refusing," said PK Behera, a senior
government wildlife official.
The turtle is protected in India and anyone found keeping one
without permission can be jailed for a year or more and
fined.
But adamant villagers have refused to give up the reptile, saying
the turtle bears holy symbols on its back and is an incarnation of
Lord Jagannath, a popular Hindu deity.
"Lord Jagannath has visited our village in the form of a turtle. We
will not allow anybody to take the turtle away," said Ramesh
Mishra, a priest of the temple.
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