Thread by @anbezhil12

#Babiya Sri Ananthapura temple is located in the middle of a lake in the village of Ananthapura. It is the only lake temple in Kerala and is believed to be the original seat
(Moolasthanam) of Ananthapadmanabha Swami Thiruvananthapuram. Babiya is the famous vegetarian temple

crocodile who lived in the temple pond/lake, which loved eating the rice prasad of the Lord passed away yesterday. Babiya was 75. The six-foot long Babiya was worshipped by the locals as the guardian of Ananthapura Lake Temple. The gentle crocodile was believed to be a vegetarian

No one in the temple knew how Babiya came to the temple pond and who named it. Babiya reached the lake after a British soldier killed the only crocodile that lived in the lake in 1945. (British soldier died on the same day from a snake bite.) Later, Babiya became the favourite of

the locals here. It is believed that the reptile has been living in the temple pond for over 70 years and has no history of wild behaviour. Babiya used to emerge quickly from the lake whenever the priest called it for food. According to the temple priests, the divine crocodile

spent most of her time inside the cave and came out in the afternoon. The localities believe she guards the cave into which the Lord disappeared. From time to time the crocodile had come ashore from its burrow in the lake and approached the shrine. According to the temple, she

lived only on the temple offerings served to her twice a day. Babiya's carcass has been kept for a public homage near the temple. It will be cremated in the temple compound. The temple doors have been closed as a mark of respect to the crocodile. The temple will reopen after the

cremation.
This crocodile was indeed a messenger of AnanthaPadmanabaSwamy as the people there believed, because He left for his heavenly abode on such an auspicious day as #SharadPurnima yesterday.
Sarvam Sri Krishnarpanam 🙏🏻