Top News

“अहिंसा परमो धर्मः”

A crocodile is usually the last animal people would expect to find inside a peaceful temple. It is a creature often associated with danger, sharp teeth, and fear. But in Kerala’s Ananthapura Lake Temple, a crocodile named Babiya became one of the most loved and unusual devotees the temple had ever seen.

For nearly 70 years, Babiya lived quietly in the temple pond, never harming anyone, never attacking the fish around it, and according to local belief, surviving only on temple prasad. Devotees saw Babiya not as a wild animal, but as a guardian of the temple and a symbol of something mysterious that science alone could not fully explain.
1. Babiya Was Believed To Be The Temple’s Guardian At the Sri Ananthapadmanabha Swamy Temple in Kerala’s Kasaragod district, Babiya was not treated like an ordinary crocodile. Devotees believed the crocodile protected the temple and watched over the sacred pond around it.

The temple itself is located in the middle of a lake, making it one of the most unique temples in Kerala. For years, people visiting the temple would wait to catch a glimpse of Babiya rising from the water near the temple steps. Many saw this as a blessing.
2. It Was Said To Eat Only Temple Prasad What made Babiya truly famous was the belief that it lived only on vegetarian food. Temple priests and devotees claimed that Babiya ate cooked rice, jaggery, and temple offerings given after worship.

People were often surprised because crocodiles are naturally carnivorous animals. Yet Babiya was said to peacefully accept only the food offered by priests. The crocodile was reportedly fed twice a day and never showed interest in harming fish, birds, or people around the pond.
3. No One Ever Reported Being Harmed By It One of the most unusual things about Babiya was that despite living in the pond for decades, there was no recorded incident of it attacking a devotee or visitor.

People walked near the pond, fed it, and watched it from close distances without fear. This peaceful behavior became one of the reasons devotees believed Babiya was special. For many, it felt impossible that a crocodile could stay around humans for so long without causing harm unless there was something sacred about it.
4. There Is A Strange Legend Behind Its Arrival Local folklore says that many years ago, a British soldier shot and killed a crocodile living in the temple pond. Soon after that, another crocodile appeared in the same pond and stayed there.

Since then, devotees have believed that whenever one crocodile dies, another mysteriously appears to take its place. This belief became even stronger after Babiya died in 2022 and another crocodile was later spotted in the same lake in 2023. Many devotees saw this not as coincidence, but as proof that the temple will always have a guardian.
5. Babiya Became More Than A Crocodile Over time, Babiya became one of the temple’s biggest attractions. People came not only to visit the temple but also to see the famous vegetarian crocodile.

Devotees often spoke about Babiya with affection and respect, almost as if it were a part of the temple family. When Babiya died in October 2022 at around 75 years of age, many people gathered to pay tribute. The crocodile was given floral offerings and temple rituals usually reserved for respected beings.
6. The Story Still Feels Impossible To Explain Even today, many people remain divided on how much of Babiya’s story is fact and how much is legend. Some believe the crocodile may have secretly eaten fish or other food naturally available in the pond. Others continue to believe the temple priests and devotees who say Babiya truly lived only on prasad.

But perhaps that is not the real reason the story survives. People are fascinated by Babiya because it challenges what they think they know about animals, nature, and faith. It is rare to hear of a crocodile living in peace with humans for so many years.