Sexagenarian Moyez Mia and his wife, Munnujan, hailing from Barisal, are seen strolling along the elevated banks of a vast lake in Bagerhat.
Their goal is to visit each lakeside home, and catch a sight of a crocodile. They believe that if the crocodiles consume a chicken they have brought along, then all of their hopes and dreams in life will be fulfilled.
But it is not just Moyez and Munnujan; many like-minded individuals join them, all hopeful of encountering a crocodile and offering them a meal. To these people, the crocodile symbolizes purity, love, trust, and faith.
This is a common sight at Thakurdighi, situated near the shrine of the Muslim saint Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali (RA) in Bagerhat Sadar upazila. Locals affectionately refer to it as "Khanjeli Dighi" in his honour.
Driven by compassion for humanity, the Muslim preacher built 360 mosques and dug 360 wells across the Bhati region, starting from Barobazar in Jessore.
These mosques catered to the region's Muslim worshipers, and the drinking water ponds in the salt pan area served as a boon to the common people. Among these dighis, Thakurdighi stands as the largest.
Kalapahar and Dhalapahar
Locals recount that in the early 14th century, Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali introduced two species of freshwater crocodiles known as Kalapahar and Dhalapahar into this lake. He personally cared for and fed these crocodiles.
Upon Khan Jahan Ali's passing, he was laid to rest on the lake's banks, and his stone mausoleum now graces one of the most picturesque spots on the lake's shoreline.
Following his demise, Khan Jahan Ali's devotees continued tending to the shrine, while the Kalapahar and Dhalapahar crocodiles thrived in Thakurdighi, becoming an integral part of the shrine-centered way of life.
A profound bond developed between humans and these crocodiles, free of any violence.
As time passed, folklore surrounding these crocodiles grew. Since Khan Jahan Ali introduced these crocodiles, the faith and trust in them deepened among the devotees, who made vows to the crocodiles to have their wishes fulfilled.
They pledged ducks, chickens, goats, cows, and many more things as offerings. Simultaneously, devotees made various vows at the shrine of Khan Jahan Ali, drawing thousands of devotees from all over the country.
Turned into business
The tendency to people seeking divine blessing led to personal gain for some shrine attendants. These attendants resided near the lake's banks and, exploiting the situation, dug ponds connected to their homes.
Devotees flocked to these ponds to observe and make offerings when the crocodiles appeared.
Allegations arose that if these offerings were placed in front of the crocodile's mouth, ownership of the vowed items would go to the respective attendants.
Thus, a competition to house crocodiles in their ponds grew among the shrine attendants.
The longer a crocodile stayed in their domain, the greater the profit. Locals also claimed that some unscrupulous shrine attendants fed sleeping pills to the crocodiles to keep them there.
Furthermore, the lake contained large fish, but locals lamented that some unscrupulous individuals secretly placed fishing nets, endangering these fish and leading to the crocodiles' accidental entrapment and death.
Replacing Kalapahar-Dhalapahar
After nearly six and a half centuries, the last descendants of Dhalapahar and Kalapahar died on February 5, 2015.
In 2005, the government introduced six freshwater crocodiles from the Madras Crocodile Farm in India to uphold the shrine's tradition.
However, they did not adapt to the peaceful lifestyle of Kalapahar-Dhalapahar due to their aggression, imposing some restrictions on the Thakurdighi's open access.
Gradually, these crocodiles became an accepted part of the community and, to devotees, were known as "Kalapahar-Dhalapahar”.
Four among them died over time, leaving a male crocodile named "Madras" and a female crocodile named "Pilpil”.
While Pilpil consistently laid eggs for several years, they failed to hatch. As a result, devotees' love and trust revolved around these two crocodiles.
Present situation
On October 19, the male crocodile, Madras, was found lifeless in the lake.
Ordinarily, a common freshwater crocodile can live up to 150 years, but Madras was only 30 years old, raising suspicions of unnatural death.
Many claimed that a shrine attendant had been administering sleeping pills with food for an extended period to keep the crocodile subdued, ultimately leading to its demise. Several shrine attendants voiced the same concern.
Local wildlife officials have suggested that the exact cause of the crocodile's death will be known once the post-mortem report is available.
The crocodile's fans, unable to accept its passing, were overcome with grief upon hearing the news.
Now, their trust and affection are vested in Pilpil, while individuals like Moyez and Munnujan continue their search along the lake's banks, seeking Pilpil's whereabouts.
They express their frustration with the inadequate care of the crocodiles and hope that the shrine's crocodile tradition will be preserved.
