STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: A 70-year-old turtle from the twin ponds of Jorpukhuri at Uzanbazar, lost its life on Tuesday. Built centuries ago, Jorpukhuri is believed by many to be deserving of the status of being one of the heritage sites of Assam. Jorpukhuri or the twin ponds were built by Swargadeo Siva Singha to fulfill the requirements of water of the Ugratara Temple.
Jor means ‘a pair’ in Assamese and Pukhri/Pukhuri stands for ‘pond’. The pair of ponds, which was earlier just one became a pair when the canal connecting the Brahmaputra to the temple of Ugratara, a prominent centre of Shakti Puja, in the times of Koch rulers was sealed and converted into a road called the Naujaan Road. The water of the ponds have an under source with the river Brahmaputra. Apart from the legendary significance, this set of ponds depicts affinity to water for the earliest settlers of Guwahati in and around the pond surroundings. Apart from turtles, it serves as an excellent nesting ground for various Herons, Egrets and Cranes in the trees in its boundary.