Crocodiles are usually perceived by people as dangerous creatures to be avoided. However, the village of Bawa Mohtra in the Bemetara district, Chhattisgarh state, refutes this notion. A crocodile named Gangaram lived here, whom the residents considered a member of their family.
Residents say that Gangaram lived in the pond for about 130 years and never attacked a human. Despite numerous generations changing in the village over this long period, he remained in his place. Although Gangaram's name was human, to the villagers, he was more like a family member than a wild animal.
Local residents claim that throughout all these years, Gangaram did not attack people. Women drew water from this pond, farmers watered their livestock there, and children played near his banks. The crocodile lived nearby, but an unspoken trust was established between man and him.
Gradually, Gangaram became not just part of the village, but a topic of discussion across the region. Wildlife experts and tourists began visiting Bawa Mohtra to see this unusual story, as such relationships between humans and predatory wild animals are considered extremely rare.
Gangaram died in 2019. For the villagers, it was akin to losing a close relative. The residents held his funeral with great reverence. As a sign of mourning, no hearth was lit in any house in the village that day. Farewell photos of Gangaram went viral across the country.
Now, Gangaram's story extends beyond village memories and is included in schools across the country. NCERT has incorporated this unique example into its curriculum titled 'My India! – The Bond Between Humans and Animals.' It tells how the residents of Bawa Mohtra managed to build such an unusual relationship with a crocodile, which is rare in the modern world.
