New Delhi: Pictures of ‘Bibiya’, a vegetarian crocodile that guards the Sri Ananthapadmanabha Swamy Lake Temple in north Kerala, have gone viral on social media.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the crocodile has been living in a cave near the temple pond for over 70 years.
“We don’t know how and where the crocodile came from, but it is said that the crocodile has been in the temple pond for over 70 years now,” Mahalingeshwara Bhat, chairman of the temple’s board of trustees, was quoted as saying.
“Legend has it that back in 1945, a crocodile which was also later called Bibiya, appeared in the temple pond days after a British army officer was mysteriously killed by an unknown animal. It was said that the officer had shot a crocodile which was residing in the temple at that time,” he added.
In the viral pictures, Subrahmanya Bhat, main priest of the temple, is seen standing in front of the crocodile inside the temple.
The priest said that the crocodile usually wanders near the temple at night after the rituals are over and sleeps on the platform in front of the ‘Sreekovil’, the sanctum sanctorum, of the temple. When the temple opens at dawn, the reptile goes back into the pond.
The crocodile feeds on the offerings made to the deity of the temple and, till date, has not harmed anyone, said the priest.
Meet Bibiya, The vegetarian crocodile that guards a temple in Kerala.
This picture was taken when she visited temple early morning..
She lives in a lake temple in a small village called Ananthapura, in Kasaragod district#BeautifulKasargod pic.twitter.com/hOnqrXeKT3
— Ditya (@Deepash89016327) October 21, 2020
