Ever been to Uttarakhand, you must have come across Roopkund. It is the beautiful, snow-covered, small lake situated in the Himalayas at 16,500 ft above the sea. However, it is famous for the years-old mystery which gave it the name- Roopkund: The Skeleton Lake In Uttarakhand.
It has picked the world’s interest for two reasons- how those human remains are still fresh and visible, and who those humans were. To know the answers, several experts and tourists have visited Roopkund.
A few even stole the bones of skeletons as a souvenir from Uttarakhand. Very Strange! But the stories behind those bones are even weirder.
What Is The Mystery Behind Roopkund ‘Skeleton Lake In Uttarakhand’?
via:adbulkalamfanclub
Once the snow melts, human bones start appearing on the edges of the lake. Not just one or two, the skeleton of more than 600 to 800 people was said to cover the area. It is said that these people died here about 1000 years ago.
But the question is how and why, what they were doing at such a height of Himalayas even when there was no route or pilgrimage? Researchers are trying to get these answers since 1942 when Roopkund was discovered.
Also Read: Mystery Sails In Thailand! A Ghost Ship Travels Off The Coast With No Human Inside
The Many Theories Behind Roopkund- The Skeleton Lake
via:wanderwisdom
A series of theories revolve around Roopkund. One of the first says that those people were from Iran or Japan whereas the other suspects them to be Konkanastha Brahmins from Maharashtra. There are many such stories that seed interest in travelers but do not justify the mystery behind bones.
A few are described below:
The Unfortunate Tale Of Kanauj
via:adotip
One of the stories is that the place was used as a cemetery after the horrible hailstorm that killed those people. It makes sense as the weather is quite extreme and Devi Nanda resides in the Himalayas.
Goddess Nanda is very popular among devotees and once in every 12 years, the devotee begins a Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra. It is believed that all those 600-800 people died due to hailstones which were part of the goddess’s curse.
Raja Jasdhaval, his wife, and the army head to the Himalayas for seeking the blessing of Nanda Devi. As the couple was about to bless with a child, their sole wish was to get a son for which they took a risk and began the trip. This entertained them throughout the journey with dancing which made the goddess angry. She cursed them which caused mass death in the Himalayas.
Also Read: Top 7 Places to Visit in Uttarakhand | Tourist Places in Uttarakhand
Why This Story Can’t Be True?
However, the tale of Kanauj is baseless as the bones were said to include women whereas they are not allowed on yatra. Another reason is the diversity of groups as the researcher believes all those who died in Roopkund belong to different places and died at different times. This makes us believe in the second story behind skeleton Lake of Uttarakhand.
Skeletons Of Soldiers
via:bbc
Another mysterious story that made Roopkund, a Lake of Skeletons dated back to 1841. According to this, a troop of Indian soldiers frozen to death on their way home during wartime in search of a safe place.
However, this can’t be accepted as true as the genetics study says the dead ones belonged to Europe as well. Moreover, no fighting equipment was found in and around the lake which again discard the theory.
Throughout a series of searches, researchers could not come to any conclusion and the search is, To be continued…..