NEW DELHI, Oct 10: “Babiya,” the 75-year old crocodile at the Sri Anandapadmanabha Swamy temple in Kerala’s Kasaragod, passed away on Sunday. Famous as “Vegetarian Crocodile” Babiya lived only on the temple offerings served to her twice a day, according to the temple authorities.
Babiya was one of the main attractions of the believers who came to the temple. According to the temple priests, the divine crocodile spent most of her time inside the cave and came out in the afternoon. According to the beliefs of the localities, the crocodile guarded the cave into which the Lord disappeared.
Babiya’s photos inside the temple premises were widely circulated. Nobody knew how Babiya came to the pond, and for years, devotees of the temple thought that Babiya was the messenger of Lord Padmanabhan himself.
(Manas Dasgupta)
