Kochi: A vegan crocodile, believed to be around 75 years, was found dead in the Anantha Pura Lake temple pond in Manjeshwaram taluk in Kasaragod on Sunday.
People offered food to fulfill their wishes after the morning and afternoon pujas at the temple dedicated to Sri Padmanabha Swamy, media reports said.
There is a common belief that the crocodile survived a gunshot fired by a Britisher in 1945. It was later called Babiya by the people.
People believed that Babiya survived on the food given by the devotees and did not eat fish or other marine life.
The Sanctum Sanctorum sits in the lake on two acres. There is a cave on the right corner of the lake which is connected to Thiruvananthapuram, legend says. The current priests are Havyaka Brahmins, however the tantri belong to the Shivalli Brahmin community.
