T
here is mysterious lake in the magnificent Gharval Himalaya - Roopkund. For more than 1000 years around the lake lie several hundreds of dead people which most likely died in an extreme hailstorm.
Roopkund (Skeleton Lake) is a glacial lake in Uttarakhand state of India famous due to more than five hundred skeletons found at the edge of a lake. The location is uninhabited and is located in Himalaya at an altitude of about 5,029 metres (16,499 feet). The skeletons were rediscovered in 1942 by a Nanda Devi game reserve ranger H K Madhwal, although there are reports about these bones from late 19th century. Earlier it was believed by specialists that the people died from an epidemic, landslide or blizzard. The carbon dating from samples collected in the 1960s vaguely indicated that the people were from the 12th century to the 15th century.
| Coordinates | 30.262°N 79.732°E |
| Country |  India |
| State | Uttarakhand |
| District(s) | Chamoli |
| Population | Nil |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation | • 5,029 metres (16,499 ft) |
In 2004, a team of Indian and European scientists visited the location to gain more information on the skeletons. The team uncovered vital clues including jewellery, skulls, bones and preserved tissue of bodies. DNA tests on the bodies revealed that there were several groups of people including a group of short people (probably local porters) and a taller group who were closely related - with DNA mutations characteristic for Kokanastha Bramins in Maharashtra. Though the numbers were not ascertained, remnants belonging to more than 500 people have been found and it is believed that even more than six hundred people perished. Radiocarbon dating of the bones at Oxford University Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit determined the time period to be AD 850 ±30 years.After studying fractures in the skulls, the scientists in Hyderabad, Pune and London determined that the people died not of disease, but of a sudden hailstorm. The hailstones were as large as cricket balls, and with no shelter in the open Himalayas, all of them perished. Furthermore, with the rarefied air and icy conditions, many bodies were well preserved. With landslides in the area, some of the bodies made their way into the lake. What is not determined was where the group was headed to. There is no historical evidence of any trade routes to Tibet in the area but Roopkund is located on important pilgrimage route of Nanda Devi cult with Nanda Devi Raj Jat festivities taking place approximately once per 12 years.
