Mysterious crocodile Babiya no more, devotees flow to Ananthapura temple in Kerala

For many decades, the presence of the crocodile, which eats only vegetarian food given by the devotees and temple officials, in the lake near the temple, was attracting many devotees.

Ananthapura Anantha Padmanabha Swami temple crocodile Babiya. (Photo | EPS)

KASARAGOD: The disconsolate devotees keep flowing to Ananthapura Anantha Padmanabha Swami temple, Kasaragod to attend the funeral rites of their dearest Babiya, a mugger crocodile that ate only vegetarian food over the years. The crocodile was found dead around 10 pm on Sunday, on the south side of the lake near the temple.

For many decades, the presence of the crocodile, which eats only vegetarian food given by the devotees and temple officials, in the lake near the temple, was attracting many devotees from Kerala and Karnataka. Babiya could be seen in the small pond on the northern side of the temple at times.

Anantha Padmanabha Swami temple, Kasaragod. (Photo | EPS)

The devotees who visit the temple would wait patiently to have a look at the ‘godly presence in the water. When they couldn’t see the crocodile, they would shout, “Babiya, come, take this food from us”. “I have been here for more than three decades and have not heard about an incident in which the crocodile turned violent,” said Lakshmana Hebbar (63), manager of the temple.

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“We have this feeling that the crocodile was not feeling well for some time. Veterinary doctors were called to the temple to have a look at the creature,’ he said. “When we were not seeing Babiya for the last two days, we started searching for it and on Sunday night, we found it lying dead,” said Hebbar.

“The legend is that a British soldier had killed a crocodile in the temple pond in 1945. On the very night, when the crocodile was shot dead, Babiya appeared in the pond. The mysterious appearance has forced the devotees to think that, the creature has divine elements in it,” said Hebbar. It is said that the crocodile is about 77 years of age now. Considered the “Moola Sdhana’ of Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple, Thiruvananthapuram, Ananthapura temple has been attracting devotees for many years only through the presence of the divine crocodile.

Normally Babiya would eat only the Nivedyam from the temple. The temple is surrounded by a lake and Babiya was seen in this lake. It is said that, when the chief priest close the temple at the night, Babiya would come out of the lake and would rest before the temple. When the chief priest come in the morning, it would go back to the water again. At times, it would go to the pond near the temple also.

The funeral rites will be done by Delampady Ganesha Tantri.