Nag Shankar Temple Becomes Model For Turtle Conservation from Vajirao & Reddy Institute

NAG SHANKAR TEMPLE BECOMES MODEL FOR TURTLE CONSERVATION

• Nagshankar temple in Assam’s Biswanath district has been designated as a model temple for turtle conservation.
• The recognition was announced during an event held on May 23, 2025, coinciding with World Turtle Day.

• The event was organised by multiple stakeholders including:
  • Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve
    • Assam State Zoo
  • Nagshankar Temple Committee
  • DBT-NER Biotech Hub, Chaiduar College
  • Conservation groups like Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) Foundation India, Aaranyak, and Help Earth
• Local MLA Padma Hazarika officially acknowledged the temple on behalf of the community and authorities.

• In Assam, turtles have traditionally been conserved in temple ponds as they are believed to be reincarnations of Lord Vishnu.
• The turtles at Nagsankar temple, maintained by TSA, are considered some of the best conserved in the state.

• Nagsankar temple promotes turtle conservation at the grassroots level, making it a model for other temples.
• Activities at the event included the release of a freshwater turtle identification brochure to educate the public.
• The temple also honoured ‘Kaso Mitras’—community members acting as turtle guardians.

• Turtles are called the “vultures of the aquatic ecosystem” because they clean water bodies by scavenging on dead and decomposed matter.
• Protecting turtles is crucial for maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems, as highlighted by Anjali Das, president of Kaso Sakhi, a women’s weavers’ group supported by TSA that creates turtle motif handloom products.

• The temple premises include a large pond that has 250-300 turtles belonging to some of the world’s rarest species.
• Some of these turtles are believed to be hundreds of years old.
• The Nagshankar conservation project sustains 13 species of freshwater turtles, categorized by their conservation status according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN):

• Nagsankar Temple is an ancient Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• Located on the north bank of the river Brahmaputra, within the administrative district of Biswanath, Assam.

• The temple is believed to have been originally built by King Narasankar of Nagakha in the 4th century AD.
• It was later restored by the Ahom king Su-sen-pha in 1480.

• The temple campus is also home to other animals such as:
  • Peacocks
  • Deer
  • Pythons

• The temple combines religious, historical, and ecological importance, making it a unique cultural heritage site.
• The turtle conservation efforts here reflect traditional reverence and modern environmental stewardship.