Crocodile in the Goan culture

Since time immemorial, the Goans have respected the floral as well as the faunal wealth of the land and has offered some degree of protection to it. Not only creatures which are beneficial but harmful too have been respected some time with fear or with awe. Crocodiles, belonging to an ancient group of reptiles, are found on water and land. As senses of sight, hearing and smell are well developed, the crocodile remains very alert while basking on land. They hunt more or less in water mainly fish but any animal that can be overcome is taken. There are numbers of folk tales and folk beliefs prevails in various parts of India has projected crocodile as the cruel, wicked and untrustworthy. There is a tradition of using the phrase in vernacular languages of 'crocodile tears'. This phrase derives from an old belief that crocodile shed tears while relishing on their prey. Crocodile tears are considered as the false, insincere display of emotions such as hypocrite, crying, fake tears of sorrow. Crocodiles when spend time out of water, their eyes dry out so they weep to keep them lubricated.

There is also folk tale where in the male crocodile was depicted to kill his friend monkey for want of delicious heart, as requested by the wife of crocodile. Such type of folk tales shown crocodile as unhuman. However, inspite of this, crocodiles are respected. It is popularly believed that the number of stones in the stomach equals the animal’s age and that 108 eggs are laid equaling in number the beads in the Hindu rosary. In Hindu mythology, the crocodile is considered to be the mount of Niridhe, the regent of the south west point of the compass. In Pakistan, there is the Mangho (Mugger) Pir at Karachi which has been respected by the locals.

In Indian culture, the river Ganga is the holiest river and worshipped in the sculpture as the goddess and has been depicted in iconography with the crocodile as her vehicle. In Sattari, at Sateri Kelbai temple of Dhamshe, the unique sculpture of eight handed goddess Ashtabhuja is shown seated in the boat with an image of crocodile on the bank of the navigable river Mhadei, which throws light that crocodiles are there in Goa since the period of Goa Kadamba ruler. In many temples of Sattari, well carved wooden representations of crocodiles were displayed. Specimens of such artefacts available in one of the old temples in Zarme has the representation of crocodile in wooden. In the Indian temple architecture, there was use of the mouth of crocodile in some of the temples as the outlet for waterways. There are many stone sculptures with the representation of crocodile mouth called as makarmukh. During the ancient period in the, warfare, soldiers were arranged in the crocodile shape to win the battle. This arrangement was known as the ‘Makarvyuha rachana. The design at the entrance of the temple during the old time bear the artefact of mouth of the crocodile called the makar toran. In the ancestral house of Mhamai Kamat in Panaji, during the festival of Anant Chaturdashi, there is a tradition of worshipping annually a sacred conch and also a silver idol of animal more resembling like a crocodile.
During the sixth month of the Hindu calendar Bhadrapad, villagers of Naveli of Bicholim assembles in the evening to celebrate the ritualistic festival of ‘Baras’. In which images of tortoise, a pair of oxen with the farmer and of crocodile are made from kneaded flour and are worshipped. Before the onset of the autumn agriculture, villagers worship the image of crocodile with the hope that it may not cause any harm to them while involved in agriculture.  

In Legends of Goa’, Mario Cabral E Sa’ in ‘The crocodiles of the Mandovi’ mentions about the legend pertaining introduction of the crocodiles in the water of river Mandovi. The Portuguese chronicler Joao de Barros mentions that the city of Goa, “was protected by crocodiles, with which the river abounded, and which were enormous as to devour whole bullocks and upset large boats. They protected admirably the river and the rich revenues of the custom house on it. It is believed that the crocodiles have been introduced “as a guard against surprise attacks and the escape of slaves”. When Alfonso Albuquerque conquered Goa on November, 25, 1510, crocodiles were fed all the criminals during their incursion into Portuguese territory. The Cumbarjua canal, where crocodiles were let in has transformed into the apt natural habitat for the crocodiles. During the old time, crocodiles have survived the Muslims and the Portuguese rulers

  Crocodile is a sanctified reptile in Goa, and its worship involves myths and superstitions Gawdas are the tribal who are engaged in the agriculture. On the bank of the estuaries in Linda, there are villages like Bhoma, Durbhat, Talaulim and Borim where on the new moon day of Pausha month, the members of Gawda community assemble near the river and make replica of crocodile by using the wet clay available in the nearby marshy areas of the waterlogged paddy fields. Clam shells are used to make the scutes and the eye of crocodiles and its teeth are made with small straight sticks. Offering of chicks are made to crocodile. Then the crocodile is worshipped with locally available flowers and vermillion which is followed by the invocation. Celebrations are held to mark the commencement of the paddy harvesting season. It is believed that the villagers decided to pacify the sea by worshipping the crocodiles, which were found in the large numbers in that area. This practice of worshipping the marsh crocodiles in some of the villages of Cumbarjua canals is popular locally as the Manage Thapani. Once, symbolic worship of crocodile in vogue Mulgaon of Bicholim. It is also said that in order to get protection from power and cunning abilities of crocodiles, this tradition came into practice and is still continued.