Puri: In a bid to create and spread awareness about conservation of Olive Ridley turtles, the first Odisha Turtle Festival was held in Puri on Saturday.
Hundreds of locals, tourists and nature conservationists thronged Puri sea beach to witness the one-day festival, organised by Cox & Kings Foundation in association with Humane Society International/India and Action for Protection of Wild Animals (APOWA).
The festival also featured events like sand art and painting exhibitions.
Besides, cuisine and attractive stalls showcasing local artefacts were available at the festival.
“Odisha is one of the top tourist destinations in India. We thought it would be best to weave our conservation efforts with tourism and involve the locals, tourists and others to be a part of the movement,” said Thomas C. Thottathil, Trustee, Cox and Kings Foundation.
Several workshops were also organised in the festival in which school students participated. They joined hands to embrace the species and work towards its conservation.
