Kanpur: Like Jerry, the mouse drawn unattained to the cheese, eagerly for cheese cubes to the turtle in the surface of the Kanpur temple pond – a bizarre turn in their diet story in which both the devotee and the protector are doing a double tech.Broadly 150 turtles live in a 2-bagha pond next to Panki Dham, also a temple complex known as Panki Nageshwar Temple. Every Wednesday, the heads of the bob above the water in the form of softshell turtle, the rapid paddle to snag cottage cheese pieces offered by watching devotees. Temple administrator Devi Dayal Pathak, whose family has managed the pilgrimage for more than 350 years, was remembered when this strange food habit began to emerge. “A visiting professor was apparently the first to introduce Paneer to reptiles,” said Pathak. “He once eaten the Etah balls offered by the devotees, but now clearly likes Paneer. Why did he develop this taste, no one really knows.”Turtles are largely affected by dairy, but this change has become a consistent feature of temple life. Religious learning also plays a role – turtle planets are associated with mercury, which encourage the crowd to gather midweak to feed them in the hope of astrological goodwill.Rajiv Chauhan, the general secretary of the society for the protection of nature, called the cheese-lover behavior rare and research -able. He said, “These Indian softcle turtles – Nilsonia Gangika – are carnivorous and scavenging. Because of this, they easily digest the cheese,” he said.Mainly found in rivers such as the Ganges, Indus and Mahanadi, softcle turtles usually feast on fish, amphibians, carians and aquatic vegetation. Despite their adaptability, they remain protected under Part II, Schedule I of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – make them illegal to catch or harm them.Pathak said that the temple grounds have developed in a sanctuary. An artificial island in the center provides nest hunting location, while embankments help curb erosion. Local shopkeepers now approve the feeding items to the stock, and the municipal boards provide ecological guidance to the visitors.For now, the top pick is on the cheese turtle menu. And every Wednesday, the cubes hit the water, the head grows like a clock – a visible part holy ritual, part ecological miracles.
