The area is uninhabited, in the Himalayas at an altitude of 5,029 metres (16,499 feet). Deep in the sacred Himalayan mountains of India, something inexplicable happened that experts are still trying to piece together. Roopkund is better off known as “The skeleton lake” due to the presence of an enormous grave that holds about 300 to 600 skeletons. Unlike previous findings that were based on the characteristics of skulls, the genetic research of Harney et al. The entire area surrounding the lake is covered … “Rupkund Human Remains: A Mystery Yet Unresolved.” IGNCA.–Negi, Chandra. Roopkund is better off known as The skeleton lake due to the presence of an enormous grave that holds about 300 to 600 skeletons. This is evident in antemortem depression skull fractures near the front or top of the skulls, and for these people, this was likely the cause of death through bleeding, brain swelling, and/or hypothermia. They saw that some of the bodies and leather sandals (chappals) were larger than typical. Flesh like inflated rubber was sticking to most of the bodies. The previously held theory is that a hailstorm inundated a group of pilgrims and killed them all in one disaster. Georgia Guidestones: Who Paid for It and Why? However, they broke important traditional taboos about the pilgrimage. Roopkund (locally known as Mystery Lake or Skeletons Lake) is a high altitude glacial lake in the Uttarakhand state of India. It lies in the lap of Trishul massif. Also known as Rudrakund, Mystery Lake, or Skeleton Lake, Roopkund exists at the base of the Trisul Mountains in the far northern reaches of Uttarakhand state of India. Harney broke up the clusters into Roopkund A, B, and C (one individual). In the mountains of Uttarakhand, India lies a high altitude glacial body of water known as Roopkund Lake. In 1942 A British Forest Guard in Roopkund, India made a discovery. The symbolism of the trek reflects Nanda Devi’s trip to her home, and each person on the pilgrimage is escorting and helping her get there. Human remains were first discovered in Roopkund Lake, or "Skeleton Lake," during World War II. -Carter, H. Adams. Additionally, devotees take dangerous pilgrimages through the mountain seeking out her blessings. Homkund Lake is the dwelling place of the gods in the Trisul mountains. August and September are the only months when the lake is visible, while the rest of the year it lies hidden under a thick blanket of snow. Subscriber Rai's team said it was possible that some in the first wave of Skeleton Lake bones came from "a mass death during a pilgrimage event." The whole area, including the lake, commands deep reverence as the manifestation and embodiment of the goddess, Nanda. The first offense was taking females and children so far on the pilgrimage trail. Roopkund Lake contains hundreds of skeletons and is flanked by sheer cliffs. Both lie in the shadows of Nanda Devi mountain. Get the latest healthcare news and analysis. The lake is near a present-day pilgrimage route through the region, the authors wrote. A has South Asian ancestry from the Indian Cline, but they do not belong to one specific population. Roopkund Lake has baffled scientists for almost 80 years following a discovery from a British forest ranger in 1941. Although there is no consensus on the ongoing mysteries of Roopkund Skeleton lake, one theory suggests that pilgrims were caught in a terrible hail storm on the ridge on top of … (Negi, R.S.). Approximately 17,000 feet above sea level, at the bottom of a small valley, was a frozen lake full of human skeletons. The fact that there were men, women, and children tells us that they were probably not all pilgrims. Roopkund is a glacial lake situated in the Himalayan range in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Additionally, there were bamboo sticks, wooden utensils, and umbrellas sticking out of the snow. After the porters ran away from the lake, Madhwal and his assistant stayed behind to take a closer look. Nanda Devi, the goddess, represents Shiva’s consort, Parvati, who “first came onto the earth as the daughter of Himavan, the king of the Himalaya, and has, therefore, always been associated with the mountains” (Carter 1977). Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Sleipnir: Mythic Eight-Legged Horse of Odin, History of the Ancient Library of Alexandria, Wendigo: Cannibal Beast of Native American Legend, Important Norse Symbols and Their Meaning. NOW WATCH: 100-million-year old skeletons are what make these world-famous cliffs so unusually white, Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories, In a lost lake 3,500 feet under the Antarctic ice, scientists just found the carcasses of tiny creatures. In honor of the goddess, the Raj Jat occurs every 12 years and takes 22 days to complete the 175 miles – a good portion of that in bare feet. Thus, the name Roopkund means “reflection lake” or “beauty lake.” Another version of the story says that it wasn’t Shiva but Nanda Devi who struck the trident (Carter 1977). The lake is located 5,029 metres (16,500ft) above … "We hope that this study represents the first of many analyses of this mysterious site.". That's unlikely, the new study says, because Roopkund "is not situated on any major trade route.". The goddess mythology permeates the lives of the local residents, and huge festivals in her honor take place regularly. A new DNA analysis found that the bodies were from three distinct groups of people who died in two waves, about 1,000 years apart. But although the cold climate around the Lake of Roopkund, at 16,000ft above sea level, had preserved some of the hair, flesh and leather clothes of the victims, the bodies were dated to around 850AD. Located in the Himalayas, the area around the lake is uninhabited and is roughly at an altitude of 16,470 feet (5,020 m), surrounded by rock-strewn glaciers and snow-clad mountains. At that point, officials launched an investigative expedition to the lake. How many of them were suicide victims who sacrificed themselves to the gods? A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Experts had no concrete answers to explain who the bodies were or how they got there, and, thus, the great mystery of Roopkund Lake unfolded. ... Their bodies remained frozen in the lake, at an altitude of 16,000 ft, for more than 1200 years until their discovery during the Second World War. “Roopkund Mystery “Pathology Reveals Head Injury behind the Casualties.” 2018. According to stories the locals tell and sing about today, it was, in fact, her mercurial nature that resulted in the skeletons in the lake. (Negi, R.S.). In the garb of Nanda Devi Raj Jaat- A cultural treatise of Western Himalaya. Roopkund (locally known as Mystery Lake, Skeletons Lake)[1] is a high altitude glacial lake in the Uttarakhand state of India. Take Roopkund glacial lake, which is during the winter the perfect place to go skating. Negi, scientist and researcher, indicates that there were so many accidental deaths from the Gali that the government banned the pilgrimage a few hundred years ago and removed the ban only in the late 19th century. Roopkund Lake has baffled scientists for almost 80 years following a discovery from a British forest ranger in 1941. The remains of an estimated 600-800 people have been found at the site However, the ice begins to melt and the surface begins to see for a month when the temperature is sufficiently friendly. The decaying remains of hundreds of humans who’ve died a terrifying death is another. Although we still do not know exactly where the victims may have originated before they met their death at the lake, scientists have determined what their genetic ethnicities were. "It is still not clear what brought these individuals to Roopkund Lake or how they died," Niraj Rai, a senior author of the new study, said in the press release. As he descended down the rocky bank, he saw that the shore contained hundreds of human bones with swollen flesh still clinging to them. Initial studies suggested that there were two genetically distinct groups of people who died in a large event. A lake with hundreds of Ancient Skeletons surrounding it. The study's authors said the song is about "a king and queen and their many attendants, who — due to their inappropriate, celebratory behavior — were struck down by the wrath of Nanda Devi." A battle probably wasn't the reason either, since the analysis found that the skeletons came from 23 males and 15 females, including children and elderly people, and no weapons were found nearby. He observed, “The whole place was littered with scores of human bodies. Who's afraid of a little memento mori? Inscriptions at stops and shrines along the pilgrimage trail reveal the intentions of some pilgrims to take their own lives at the lake. as well as other partner offers and accept our. But the researchers argued against another theory that aligns with the folk song. Note: notice the tridents in the photo of the shrine above. The size and shape of the bones confirmed that finding: Some of the bones belonged to people who were "very robust and tall, " while others were more "gracile," or long and lanky, the authors wrote. This discovery has revolutionized the world of ancient history ever since 1942, when a park ranger came across this mass deposition of bones. If the Raj Jat began in the ninth century, this could correspond approximately with the deaths of Roopkund A group as described by Harney, above. This discovery deepens the mystery of the so-called Skeleton Lake, since scientists still don't know what killed the people buried there. Nanda is a goddess with many faces and moods, at times expressing wrath, jealousy, or insecurity. The ranger H.K. Unfortunately, by the time the research began in 1955 the scene at the skeleton lake had changed significantly. Yet there was no discernible explanation for how or why these people perished. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Thirteen years had passed since Madhwal’s discovery, and whole bodies were no longer visible. Accept Read More, Grave of the Lady with the Parasol Umbrella, Machu Picchu Facts: 11 Fascinating Details, USS Cyclops Disappearance in the Bermuda Triangle, Jennifer Groesbeck: A Dead Mother’s Cry For Help. © 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. "The analysis suggests that the Roopkund individuals were broadly healthy," the authors wrote. The size of the lake varies substantially, but it is seldom more 40 meters in diameter (1000 to 1500 square meters in area), and is f… This group dates to around 800 CE, although Harney notes that their deaths may not have occurred in one single event. After a British guard discovered the lake in 1942, scientists determined that the skeletons weren't victims of a World War II scuffle — the bones were far too old. Some individuals within the larger group appear to have been related, as indicated by certain extra bones (Wormian bones) in the skull. Get it now on Libro.fm using the button below. Kimberly will continue to venture around the world and write about the history she encounters. Also known as Rudrakund, Mystery Lake, or Skeleton Lake, Roopkund exists at the base of the Trisul Mountains in the far northern reaches of Uttarakhand state of India. The remains of about 800 human bodies were discovered at the remote Roopkund Lake , located over 16,404 feet (5,000 meters) above sea level in the Indian Himalayas, and until now the people were thought to have been pilgrims who had perished in a storm over a millennia ago. A small lake known as Roopkund Lake sits high in the Indian Himalayas, more than 16,000 feet (4,900 meters) above sea level. Yet that’s exactly what British troops found in Roopkund Lake in the winter of 1942. Pilgrimages, called Raj Jat, have been taking place for hundreds of years. There are some creepy places where dead bodies just lay out in the open! The sacred region contains shrines strewn throughout. "We have tried to answer all possible sources of genetic ancestries of [the] Roopkund skeletons but failed to answer why Mediterranean people were traveling to this lake and what they were doing here," Rai told National Geographic. In one version of the story, Mahadev (Shiva), the supreme or great being, struck his trident to the ground to make a place where his consort Nanda Devi could quench her thirst. These towering peaks lie to the northeast of the lake and are a part of the greater Nanda Devi National Park and Biosphere. Even though scientists now know that the lake holds the bones of people from distinct parts of the world who died at different times, they aren't any closer to determining what killed them. All rights reserved. Academia.edu. Who were the Roopkund Lake skeletons and how did they get there? The area is also prone to sudden and violent storms that can produce hail but offers no place for shelter. People who fell from the Gali perished on the cliffside and shores of Roopkund and presumably mixed in with the other skeletons at the lake over the years. That summer, the ice melted to reveal even more skeletal remains, floating in the water and lying haphazardly around the lake’s edges. They found that of the 38 skeletons examined, 23 had ancestry related to people from present-day India, while 14 were most closely related to people from the eastern Mediterranean islands of Crete and Greece, and one had Southeast Asian ancestry. The American Alpine Journal and Accidents in North American Climbing.-Harney, Éadaoin. The team behind the 2003 expedition suggested that the skeletons could have come from merchants who perished in a freak hailstorm. In August of 2018, the Indian government banned all treks to Roopkund in an attempt to preserve the degrading meadows and save endangered species. What is the Mystery of Roopkund Lake? But according to Rai and his coauthors, the new analysis puts some theories about what killed the people in the lake to rest. Roopkund lake's skeleton mystery solved! since, “No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention”. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Roopkund is a popular trekking destination. Scientists aren't sure what killed these people. 2013.–Pant, Alka Barthwal. A lake with hundreds of ancient skeletons surrounding it. Some hypothesize that the bodies could be evidence of a fatal 19th-century military expedition, but when many women’s bodies were found in the lake, this idea fell out of favor. Yet another idea is based on a local folk song that describes a mass pilgrimage to the shrine of a mountain goddess, called Nanda Devi, near the lake. Officially named Roopkund, the lake's edges are rimmed with human bones and frozen bodies — some with frozen hair and flesh still attached. As the story goes, King Jasdhawal of Kannauj and his pregnant Queen, Balampa, took their entourage with them on a pilgrimage to Nanda Devi. Throughout time, especially during warmer years when the snow has melted off sufficiently, pilgrims have seen the skeletons at the lake. Researchers witnessed large rocks rolling down the steep embankment, and they surmised that the stones, with avalanches and earthquakes over the years, had scattered the bones and caused damage to the skeletons. However, because researchers collected just a few bones, including two skulls, an arm, a leg, a jaw, and several artifacts, the final report provided little information. Nonetheless, scientists continue their work to unlock the mysteries of the lake. Were the larger people refugees fleeing war or famine of another land or immigrants from the steppes or Iran? The surprise is what killed them. Roopkund, a remote lake high in the Indian Himalaya, is home to one of archaeology’s spookiest mysteries: the skeletons of as many as 800 people. Madhwal was the first official person to report the skeletons after he encountered them during his plant-hunting expedition in 1942. In the summer, when parts of the lake melt, scattered skeletal remains float to the surface. People of the region revere the Nanda Devi mountains. Scientists reveal bones belong to 9th century people who died during heavy hail storm Scientists have concluded that the skeletons of about 200 people discovered near the frozen lake belonged to the 9th … Nestled deep in the Himalayan mountains at 5029 m above sea level, Roopkund Lake is a small body of water (~40 m in diameter) that is colloquially referred to as Skeleton Lake … This created the Trisul (meaning “trident”) mountains and two lakes. They also made sure to bring along their earthly pleasures in the form of beautiful dancers. Interesting history topics are just a click away. This group dates to around 1800 CE. On the contrary, a 2003 National Geographic study concluded that all the victims perished at the same time in one large fatal event in the ninth century. “The rules stated that music, children, women, elderly folks, leather goods, the lower castes were strictly prohibited from proceeding beyond Wan,” (Negi, Chandra, 2013, 92)  which is about three or four days before Roopkund on the trail. The lyrics recount the goddess flinging balls as "hard as iron.". The first group was taller and more robust with longer heads. If she's not plunging down the SEO rabbit hole, she's visiting some ancient site in Italy, where she currently lives in the middle of an active caldera. The surprise is what killed them, who killed them,why they were killed and when they were killed.. Roopkund is a frozen lake in the Uttarkhand state of India.It is located in the Trishul Range of Himalayas.. Roopkund, a remote lake high in the Indian Himalaya, is home to one of archaeology’s spookiest mysteries: the skeletons of as many as 800 people. Roopkund lake is a relatively small body of water, spanning about 130 feet (40 meters) across, but it has a big story attached to it. The surprise is what killed them. Anthropologists have known about Roopkund Lake for several decades, but little was known about the provenance of its skeletons. Nestled 16,500 feet up in the Indian Himalayas, a tiny body of water has earned a macabre nickname: "Skeleton Lake.". The lake is roughly 500 square feet and six to eight feet deep. While she was drinking water in one of the lakes, she peered in and saw her own image or “beauty,” her Roop. Roopkund Lake, India. It's these that give the lake its other name, Skeleton Lake, and no one knows how the remains came to be there. (Image credit: Awanish Tirkey/Shutterstock) You May Also Like: Machu Picchu Facts: 11 Fascinating Details. It appears that heavy round objects struck the heads of many individuals while they were still alive. In 1955, everything changed when one of the Government Deputy Ministers made a press announcement about the Roopkund Lake skeletons. Ancient DNA from the Skeletons of Roopkund Lake Reveals Migrants of  Mediterranean Origin in South Asia. Roopkund lake is a relatively small body of water, spanning about 130 feet (40 meters) across, but it has a big story attached to it. Some studies indicated that death occurred 500-800 years ago. (Image credit: Awanish Tirkey/Shutterstock) Deadly ridge. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Their grinning faces made the scene still more hideous. Kathleen Morrison, an anthropologist at the University of Pennsylvania who was not involved in the study, offered one possible explanation. 9. However, not every individual showed head trauma. Speculation abounds about who the people may have been, what they were doing in the treacherous area, and how they died. She then summoned a violent storm that rained huge hailstones that pummeled the rest of the group to death at Roopkund Lake. Interestingly, there is a wide belief that many pilgrims also used the lake for self-sacrifice. As it turns out, the skeletons were ethnically and culturally diverse. That style of footwear did not come from the area. Memento mori. That discovery changes scientists' understanding of Skeleton Lake, since a 2003 expedition suggested that most of the people whose bones were discovered at the site died around 800 AD. Until then, this dangerous spot along the pilgrimage route remains an enigmatic paradox with hundreds of skeletons still trapped under the ice of the majestic Nanda Devi mountains. Last month, a DNA analysis of 38 skeletons from the lake added a new layer of mystery: It found that the skeletons belonged to three genetically distinct groups that died in at least two waves, about 1,000 years apart. B derives from Eastern Mediterranean ancestry, with similarities to Greeks and Levantine populations. However, the story is not quite that simple. Bones litter the shore, a few with frozen hair and flesh still attached. Nestled deep in the Himalayan mountains at 5,029 metres above sea level, Roopkund Lake is a small body of water ― approximately 40 metres in … But first, the trail winds along the steep upper edge of the skeleton lake on the Jyura Gali, or “Alley of Death.” As the name suggests, the Jyura Gali is a sheer ridge that is fatally dangerous, but it does provide a view into the lake. Local mythology also directly refers to the Trisul formation and Roopkund Lake. During this major festival, thousands of people from far and wide travel to take part in the pilgrimage. In fact, in 1925 after the Raj Jat, witnesses reported the bodies lying on its northeastern bank. All studies contained skeletal remains that included men, women, and children of various ages. Nanda Devi, meaning “bliss-giving goddess,” derives its name from the most important and revered goddess in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. Rockslides, migrating … When it shrinks, it reveals the remains of up to 800 people who have seemingly been laid to rest in the region. In 1942 a British forest guard in Roopkund, India made an alarming discovery. There are certain things you never want to find in any body of water. The greatest mysteries of Roopkund Lake are still unsolved. Plus, Rai said, the fate of the second group of skeletons is still a total mystery. The lake is roughly 500 square feet and six to eight feet deep. But when the ice melts, the horror movie starts. The last Raj Jat took place in 2014. The lake, which is formally known as Roopkund, is miles above sea level in the Himalayas and sits along the route of the Nanda Devi Raj Jat, a famous festival and pilgrimage. Piranhas is one. released their findings based on recent DNA work in 2017. They also died at different times, rather than in one catastrophic event. The other group was of smaller stature, lighter frames, and rounder heads. You May Also Like: Grave of the Lady with the Parasol Umbrella. However, it is uncertain when the ban against women and children on the trail started. Officially called Roopkund Lake, the almost perpetually frozen lake is less than 135 feet in diameter, yet it's the final resting place of up to 800 human bodies. Did a large hailstorm really kill King Jasdhawal and his entourage? Finally, when Balampa gave birth near the lake, she soiled the holy ground with her blood. 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