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Save The Turtles: Can we eat our living beliefs as a dish?
- Dr (Ms) Sharad Singh
Writer, Author & Social Activist
Blogger - "Climate Diary Of Dr (Ms) Sharad Singh"
According to mythology, when the gods and demons churned the ocean, the mountain was placed on the back of a tortoise. According to mythological beliefs, our earth rests on the back of a turtle. When the turtle turns, earthquakes and tsunamis occur. Nowadays, the statue of a tortoise is decorated in the living room of the house as a symbol of good luck. But have we noticed that turtles are being rapidly destroyed by us humans? In Asia alone, 25 species of turtles have been declared endangered. How can we allow the creature who is revered in our mythological beliefs, who is the sustainer of the earth, to come on our food plate as a dish? Seafood lovers to such dishes please say ‘NO!’.
Turtle is a very beautiful and magical looking creature which completely hides itself by shrinking its legs and neck in its thick shield. The turtle that raises its offspring on the sand of the shore and lives in the water is an integral part of the life chain, an integral link. But this link is gradually breaking due to their illegal hunting. This is worrying.
Wild populations of Asian tortoises and freshwater turtles are facing severe pressure from the illegal trade of pets, food and medicines. At least 15 of the 30 species of endangered turtles and freshwater turtles (TFT) are illegally traded in India. The condition of turtles in the country has become such that 25 out of its 29 native species are facing existential threat. In view of the danger of their extinction, these 25 native species have been put in the 'Red Zone'. Illegal trade of these native turtles is going on rampant. The data provided by Sankat Traffic India regarding the native species of turtles in the country is very worrying. It is an organization associated with the United Kingdom-based Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to this, some endangered species are being smuggled mainly through Border States like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. These are the states whose borders meet with Nepal, Bangladesh and north-eastern areas.
Turtles are often culturally referred to as intuitive, patient and intelligent creatures. Due to their long lifespan, slow growth and strength they are symbols of longevity and stability in many cultures around the world. They have an important role in religion, mythology, folklore and myth around the world, including those of stability and peace and are often included in creation myths of the Earth's origin. The turtle can be seen as a symbol of wisdom‚ being able to protect itself on its own. It can also be considered the archetype of water, moon, earth, time, immortality and fertility. 20th-century anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor writes in his book Researches Into the Early History of Mankind and the Development of Civilization that the concept of the World Turtle probably first appeared in Hindu mythology. In one Vedic story, the second incarnation of Lord Vishnu, called the Kurma or Kachhap avatar, has the form of a great tortoise, which provides a celestial base on which a mountain is balanced. In Kurma incarnation, Lord Vishnu had carried the Mandar mountain on his armor during the churning of the ocean of Kshirsagar. In this way, with the help of Lord Vishnu, Mandar Mountain and the serpent named Vasuki, the gods and demons churned the ocean and obtained fourteen gems. Sri Kurmam Temple in Andhra Pradesh, India is dedicated to the Kurma incarnation. It is also believed in Hindu mythology that the world rests on the backs of four elephants, which stand on a tortoise shell, with the elephant symbolizing the masculine and the tortoise symbolizing the feminine. In Hinduism, Akupara is a tortoise who carries the world on his back, holding the earth and the sea. Traditional Chinese mythology involves a giant tortoise named Ao‚ who helped create the world.
In the stories of African ethnic groups, the tortoise is considered to be the smartest animal. Ijapa or Alabahun Alabahun is a trickster tortoise who accomplishes heroic deeds and gets into trouble in a cycle of stories told by the Yoruba of Nigeria and Benin. In folklore among the Igbo people of Nigeria, Mbe Nwa Aniga, or "Tortoise son of Aniga", depicts him as a slow but cunning operator who is able to get out of any difficult situation. . In ancient Mesopotamia, the tortoise was associated with the god Enki and was used as one of Enki's symbols on kudurrus. Kudurus was a type of stone document that was used as a boundary stone. In the 'Ninurta and the Turtle' myth, Enki created a giant tortoise and thwarted an attempt by the god Ninurta to seize absolute power by leaving it behind Ninurta. During the struggle, the tortoise digs a pit with its claws, into which both of them fall. One of Aesop's fables is 'The Tortoise and the Hare'.
The tortoise was a symbol of fertility in Greek and Roman times and an attribute of 'Aphrodite/Venus'. The playwright Aeschylus is said to have been killed by a turtle dropped by a bird. In Malaysia, Ketupat penyu is made from coconut leaves to look like a turtle, which is also called Ketupat turtle. It is used in Malay traditional medicine in rituals to drive away ghosts. According to traditional Japanese beliefs, the tortoise is immortal and a refuge for the World Mountain, and a symbol of longevity, good fortune and support. It is the symbol of Kompira, the god of seafaring people. Turtles are also featured in traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies.
According to mythology, when the gods and demons churned the ocean, the mountain was placed on the back of a tortoise. According to mythological beliefs, our earth rests on the back of a turtle. When the turtle turns, earthquakes and tsunamis occur. Nowadays, the statue of a tortoise is decorated in the living room of the house as a symbol of good luck. But have we noticed that turtles are being rapidly destroyed by us humans? In Asia alone, 25 species of turtles have been declared endangered. How can we allow the creature who is revered in our mythological beliefs, who is the sustainer of the earth, to come on our food plate as a dish? Seafood lovers to such dishes please say ‘NO!’.
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(08.10.2023)
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