This crocodile named Babiya is found in Ananthapura temple in Kasargode ,kerala, India. There is a legend about this crocodile. He is considered to be the guardian of this lake temple. When that crocodile dies, another one automatically takes guard and appears mysteriously. It is also said that the crocodile has been living for the past 150 years as only one crocodile is seen at a time. This is a harmless, pure vegetarian crocodile and does not even kill the fish in the lake. The priests feed the crocodile after the Ucha Pooja / Noon Pooja with gruel of rice and jaggery. The crocodile comes there at that time, has the food offered and again goes back to the cave which is present close by. There is Lord Krishna temple towards south-west of main temple. The main attraction here is the crocodile present in the lake. Around 67 years back the British had killed the crocodile. However one more crocodile appeared next day. Nobody knows the source of crocodile since there are no rivers or lakes near by. The crocodile is harmless. Everyday the temple worshiper presents food to crocodile around 12PM. The name of crocodile is Babiya. If worshiper calls crocodile with its name nearby cave, the crocodile silently comes and have food.
Hindu temple with a vegetarian crocodile as a guardian - Ananta Pura Lake Temple is situated in Kerala, South India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple's lake is also home to various crocodiles, including the one named Babiya, who is worshiped as the divine guardian of the temple. The temples priests and visiting devotees of Lord Vishnu share their purely vegetarian meal with the crocodiles.Thus, none of these crocodiles would have ever eaten meat. After all, Vaishnavism is the tradition within Hinduism that adheres to vegetarianism most strictly and passionately, more than any other tradition. Even though I must add that today most practicing Hindus (of any tradition!!!) in India are pure vegetarians. Actually, my father remembers meeting a Vaishnava saint in the Himalayas, who used to have a pet lion who was also purely vegetarian. I have heard that pictures of that saint and lion can be seen in the famous Guru Ramray's Darbar Sahib, Dehradun, North India. Power of Hindu temples wherein even animals behave better then many humans
I have serious doubt about 150 years !!!!!! guess thats not true ... I have visited this temple recently. I was told by the local priest that in 1945 a british soldier shot the temple's crocodile dead , and in turn was killed by a snake bite 9 days later(lord anantha -the serpent God's way of taking sweet revenge i guess and Another crocodile mysteriously took its place . well !!!!! we all know the story . when i got a chance to see this crocodile, after performing pooja, they are feeding 'Babiya' once he receive the meal he will go to small lake which is in the height area right side of the temple. and apart from this ! This was once telecasted in news channel as a miracle of the temple and also the protector & all ! It's all related to Ananthapadmanama ! A direct link to Ananthapadmanama temple from here !
this is one thing that I like very much about Hinduism... it advocates complete protection to flora and fauna.... animals living around Hindu temples are always safe and fully taken care of by the devotees, may it be fish, birds, monkeys, cows, dogs, cats, crows, peacocks, or in this case even crocodiles.... and one can feel the love and thankfulness that is received in response from the animals... this I have experienced in all Hindu holy places.... and therefore I believe that Hinduism is the religion that can address our environmental concerns..... I'm also aware of the fact that the ground reality in India is very different and far from beautiful, and such love and care towards animals only exists in pockets which are deeply influenced by a religious environment..... yet the ground reality of India is different simply because a huge number of the people have abandoned and forsaken the beautiful principles of coexistence so beautifully described in our scriptures due to their immense greed and lust for wealth and power, and comforts and luxuries...... and the entire country is paying now for their misdeeds. another example of crocodile and human friendship is here :
This mighty Vishnu temple is guarded by a crocodile day-in and day-out! Ananthapura Lake Temple in Kasaragod is the only lake temple in Kerala which is known for the legend that a divine crocodile named 'Babia' guards the temple, and when one crocodile dies, another one appears in the lake mysteriously! The crocodile that guards the temple is believed to be living here in the pond for over 60 years. After worshipping the deity, the ‘prasad’ by the devotees is given to Babia who eats it only when offered by the temple’s management team. Babia is fed like an elephant by putting food in its mouth. This crocodile is believed to be vegetarian and does not harm anyone, not even other species in the pond. It is said that in 1945, a British soldier had shot dead the crocodile. The soldier died within a few days by a snake-bite. People believe it to be a revenge by the serpent God Anantha. Soon, another crocodile appeared in the tank and even now, if one is fortunate, one can see it. “We have a strong belief that this crocodile is a messenger of God and always alerts us when there is any unusual thing about to happen in and around the temple premises,” says Ramachandra Bhatt, a trustee of the temple. The presiding deity, Lord Ananthapadmanabha, is seated on the serpent God Adisesha. Local belief is that the Lord had settled down here originally. About the temple : The temple is dedicated to Lord Ananthapadmanabha Swamy (Lord Vishnu) and is surrounded by a lake that is 2-acres large and gives a beautiful view of the landscape all around it. The original idols are of a unique mixture of more than 70 medicinal materials called ‘Kadu-Sharkara-Yogam.’ These idols were replaced by Panchaloha metals in the year 1972. Efforts are now being made to replace them with idols made with ‘Kadu-Sharkara-Yogam.’ The temple’s walls are surrounded by paintings and there is a cave that opens to a water tank where water level remains constant regardless of climatic changes.
Wow when I heard about a crocodile in kerala guarding the temple ,vegetarian and human friendly I was completely shocked . Babia, the crocodile, is said to be the local guardian and messenger of the temple. Ananthapura Lake Temple situated in the centre of the Ananthapura Lake, on a remote rocky hill in a calm isolated region. The Ananthapura Lake Temple (Sree Ananthapadmanabhaswamy Temple ) is a ninth century shrine in the northern most district of Kerala. Sree Padmanabha (Lord Vishnu, The Preserver) seated on the serpent god Adisesha is the presiding deity here. It is said that Babia has been living in the pond for the past 60 or more years and lives in a nearby cave. After the worship, the feed offered by devotees is given to Babia at noon. The meal is a kind of gruel made of rice and jaggery. Babia does not eat anything else and eats what is offered by the temple officials.The legend goes that there is only one crocodile in the lake at a time. When one crocodile dies, another one appears in the lake. The sanctum sanctorum, surrounded by a rectangular lake, is another architectural wonder of this temple.
great. sanatan dharma can turn wild behavior of animals .. only in hinduism we can see a crocodile turning into vegetarian . Hinduism is filled with many mysteries to be solved
