Lesser Known Tourist Spots In India- Part-II

Ananthapura Lake Temple: A place where a vegetarian crocodile resides.

Ananthapura lake temple is a Hindu temple built in the middle of a lake in the little village of Ananthapura, Kasaragod District of Kerala, South India. This lake is believed to be the only lake temple in Kerala, where Ananthapadmanabha Swami had supposedly settled down.

The most interesting tale to tell about this Hindu lake temple is the story of the guardian crocodile. Only one crocodile, which was named Babia, has been spotted since the ancient times there.

It is said that, even if the devotees would take bath in the lake, no instances of Babia harming anyone has been found yet. The only food that the crocodile grants is the ‘prashad’ offered by the devotees who visited the temple. Temple residents claim that Babia is a vegetarian crocodile and has never harmed anyone including the fishes of the pond.

The great mystery of this legend revolves behind the stories that had been narrated since the ancient times.

It is said that in 1945, a soldier had shot the crocodile dead and to everyone’s surprise, the soldier passed off within a few days, being encountered by snake bite. And soon, one more crocodile appeared in the lake.

It is said that only one crocodile resides at a time in the lake. When one dies, another appears.

The visitors or the devotee pays great respect to the crocodile as it is said to be the guard of the entrance and the shrine.