By Pranab Kumar Das
Tezpur: Nagshankar is a temple in North Assam where the turtle is considered the incarnation of Lord Vishnu and it is worshiped with offerings and prayers. A turtle has been kept in the pond at the Nagshankar Temple in Naduar constituency of Sonitpur district for decades as a symbol of this old belief.
World Turtle Day is also being celebrated around the world today to raise awareness about the conservation of these endangered species. This year’s World Turtle Day theme not only encourages awareness but celebrates their resilience, beauty and important role in the ecosystem.
In Assam, various initiatives have been taken on this day to protect the rich turtle diversity of the state. Several species of turtles are conserved at the Nagashankar Temple, situated about 70 km from Tezpur city. According to the history of the Nagashankar Temple, it was restored several hundred years ago in the early 4th century AD. Under the supervision of King Nagashankar, the followers of Lord Shiva took the name of 'Mohan' as a turtle and settled in this pond.
There are also large numbers of these turtles in the Hoygriva Madhav Temple in Hajo. Turtles are preserved in about 25 temples in Assam.
Dr Shailendra Singh, Director, North East TSA Foundation India, told ETV Bharat that there are a total of 22 species of turtles in Northeast India and 30 species of turtle are found throughout India.
The Nagashankar Temple currently houses 250-300 of the world's rarest species of turtles. Among the species - black softshell, Indian softshell and Malayan softshell are found, Singh said.
The pond of Nagshankar Temple is unique as it has a large number of local species of black softshell turtle available from the Brahmaputra River basin and the temple management committee has been creating awareness from time to time. Ashim Barua, Secretary of Nagshankar Temple Management Committee, said "Devotees come from far and wide to see the turtles in our temple and the incarnation of Lord Vishnu through these turtle.
Susmita Kar project Coordinator of TSA Foundation of India said: “The Nagshankar temple pond holds a major population of the critically endangered Black softshell turtles. The temple committee helped Forest department and the project team to introduce a dried-fish diet for these turtles while banning other food items such as puffed rice, biscuits, etc.
TSA Foundation India has been working in the north bank landscape for almost a decade playing a major role in protecting this species in Brahmaputra by discarding vulnerable nests and artificially incubating them.
Sonali Ghosh director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve KNP, said that Park authorities in support with local community and civil society have been using eggs laid by turtles in Nagshankar temple pond to artificially hatch. Thereafter, the hatchlings are released in the wild. Till date 486 hatchlings of black softshell have been released in the wild,” she said.
A hands-on training session was organized on May 22, 2025, in view of World Biodiversity Day for 20 frontline forest staff and 10 local students in the Biswanath Wildlife Division of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. This capacity-building workshop was aimed to equip participants with skills for an upcoming comprehensive turtle survey in the Kaziranga landscape.
The State Zoo in Assam has a special facility for turtle breeding. Established in 2010, the turtle breeding facility focuses on the breeding of the endangered Assam Roofed Turtle (Pangshura sylhetensis) locally known as 'Asomi Dura'. The initiative was jointly organized by the Forest Department of the Government of Assam and the Turtle Survival Alliance.
