In the year 2015, compelled by curiosity, my husband and I decided to discover if the tale of a vegetarian crocodile in Kerala, guarding and dwelling in the temple for over 60 years, was true. Heading towards the Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple, I had made up my mind that the story was fiction – a crocodile feasting on sambar and rice? Who would believe such a thing? Upon reaching the temple and after offering our prayers to the main deity, we inquired with the priest about the truth behind the temple crocodile. The priest, with a pleasant smile on his face, said, “Oh, so you guys don’t believe it? Come, come and see our goddess for yourself."

“ Magarmach kha jayega aapko aaram se - aram se." I issued a warning to our hyper-excited driver, Bharath, to be careful since we relied on him for the drive back home during our extended road trip, but he didn't heed my advice and dashed to the pond as if we were on a racetrack.

"Madam, kuch nahi hai yahan, ullu ban gaye, wapas chalte hain - nothing is here madam, we got fooled, let us go back," Bharath said in a displeased tone. I urged him to stay calm for a while. The priest, who followed us, stood near the pond and called out, "Babiya, Babiya." No response. Thoughts crossed my mind - I felt maybe Bharath is right about this place. Then the priest called out again, louder than before. Gradually, air bubbles emerged, and a scary head popped out. My husband and I, standing just ten feet away from the giant reptile, exclaimed, "Oh my god, oh my god," and started walking backward in slow motion. If you are thinking about our driver, well, he freaked out and hid behind the priest.

The priest reassured us that it had never harmed anyone and didn't even eat the fishes in the pond. However, the fear lingered – what if we became the first humans harmed by Babiya? We grew apprehensive when we noticed no fence or protection for visitors, and Babiya roamed freely like us.

But my husband and I were glad that our quest turned from doubt and fear to a profound sense of awe, and we left Kerala, carrying the unforgettable image of Babiya, the vegetarian crocodile, etched in our memories forever.

.    .    .