Babiya, known as the ‘vegetarian temple crocodile who loved eating rice’ from Kerala, passed away at the Kasaragod-based Sri Anandapadmanabha Swamy temple. She was 75.
Visitors of temple complex in the Kasaragod district of Kerala’s Ananthpura hamlet were drawn mostly by the crocodile.
The Sri Ananthapura temple is situated in the village of Ananthapura in the centre of a lake. It is the only lake temple in Kerala and is thought to be Ananthapadmanabha Swami’s (Padmanabhaswamy temple) original seat (Moolasthanam). According to legend, this is where Ananthapadmanabha first made his home. Babiya is regarded by devotees as the guardian chosen by God to protect the temple.
For many years, temple worshipers believed Babiya to be Lord Padmanabhan’s personal representative.
On social media, images of Babiya inside the temple’s grounds were extensively shared.
It was thought that the friendly crocodile was a vegetarian. Nobody in the temple was aware of Babiya’s origins or the person who gave the pond its name. The crocodile has reportedly been residing in the temple pond for more than 70 years and has never before displayed wild behaviour.
‘Twice a day, the priest feeds Babiya. On occasion, he directly inserts the rice ball into its mouth. The priest and Babiya have a special chemistry. There are plenty of fish in the temple pond, and we don’t think anything ever eats or attacks them.’ said the temple care taker.
Wildlife specialists claim that Babiya was a mugger crocodile. For her, temple offerings served as a nutritional supplement. Crocodiles hunt fish, rodents, reptiles, and occasionally larger animals in the wild.
‘This is a Muggar crocodile, and fish make up the majority of their natural diet in the wild. Anirban Chaudhuri, a crocodile expert, had previously told The News Minute about Babiya.’ They also feed on small and large mammals, like deer, wild boar, etc.
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