Yes! You read that right.

Before starting the story, I would like to tell you that this is not a fiction. There has been a vegetarian lioness who refused to drink milk with even a single drop of blood in it. You can read about this lioness named Little Tyke here.

Let’s come back to our jalebi eating lion’s story.

This incident took place at the time of Deewan Amarchandra Ji. Once the king of Jaipur handed over the responsibility of arrangements for the lunch of Babbar lion in the zoo to Amarchand Ji after some ministers in the court back bitched about Deewan Ji.

Amarchand Ji was in a religious dilemma. The lion’s diet is meat, but Deewan Ji could not arrange meat since he was committed to the principle of non-violence(ahimsa). He was also bound to his duty. Deewan Ji took the meal of the lion in a plate and told to open the door of the lion’s cage.

The lion was hungry. He roared fiercely. Deewan Ji was ready to give his life for the duty. He went ahead with the plate fearlessly.

He placed the plate on the ground and removing the cloth covered on the plate, he said “O Lord of the forest! If you want food, then eat these jalebis. If you want meat, then I am standing in front of you. I can’t give you meat as it is a question of my religion. The meat is not necessary for you. Your belly can also be filled with these jalebis. Now, it is your choice, me or these jalebis.”

Probably, the forest king understood the language of the Deewan Ji’s heart and at the second moment, the lion was eating jalebi. Perhaps for the first time, a lion ate jalebi.

When the king of Jaipur came to know about this incident, he bowed down to Deewan Ji’s commitment to non-violence and kindness.

Source: https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/when-the-lion-drove-the-jalebi/articleshow/62187010.cms

Thanks to Shubham Jain for his answer.