Roopkund

File:Human Skeletons in Roopkund Lake.jpg

Skeletons were rediscovered in 1942 by a forest ranger of the Nanda Devi National Park, named Hari Kishan Madhwal.{{Cite web |last=Woodward |first=Aylin |date=22 October 2019 |title=A remote Himalayan lake holds up to 800 skeletons from people who died 1,000 years apart. The mystery remains unsolved. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/hundreds-of-bodies-himalayan-skeleton-lake-photos-2019-10 |access-date=4 December 2021 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}} At first, British authorities feared that the skeletons represented casualties of a hidden Japanese invasion force, but it was found that the skeletons were far too old to be Japanese soldiers. The skeletons are visible in the clear water of the shallow lake during one month when the ice melts. Along with the skeletons, wooden artefacts, iron spearheads, leather slippers,{{cite web |url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?225620 |title=Bones Of A Riddle |first=Hari |last=Menon |date=8 November 2004 |access-date=31 May 2013}} and rings were also found. When a team from National Geographic retrieved about 30 skeletons in 2003, flesh was still attached to some of them.

{{anchor | King | Jasdhaval |King Jasdhaval}}

Local legend says that the King of Kanauj, Raja Jasdhaval, with his pregnant wife, Rani Balampa, their servants, a dance troupe and others went on a pilgrimage to Nanda Devi shrine, and the group faced a storm with large hailstones, from which the entire party perished near Roopkund Lake.{{cite news |title=Roopkund's human skeletons go missing |url=http://archive.deccanherald.com/Content/Sep242007/national2007092326962.asp|access-date=31 May 2013 |newspaper=Deccan Herald |date=24 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128081408/http://archive.deccanherald.com/Content/Sep242007/national2007092326962.asp |archive-date=28 January 2015}}{{cite book |last=Vicki |first=Pomeroy |title=Deep in the Indian Himalaya |year=2007 |publisher=Garhwal Publishing |isbn=9780615156972 |page=63 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VL2022JhuKMC&q=Roopkund}}

Remnants belonging to more than 300 people have been found. The Anthropological Survey of India conducted a study of the skeletons during the 1950s and some samples are displayed at the Anthropological Survey of India Museum, Dehradun. The studies of the skeletons revealed head injuries;{{cite journal |last1=Pant |first1=Alka Barthwal |date=2018 |title=Roopkund Mystery "Pathology Reveals Head Injury behind the Casualties |url=http://www.heritageuniversityofkerala.com/JournalPDF/Volume6/58.pdf |journal=Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology |volume=6 |issue=2018 |pages=1084‐1096 |access-date=27 July 2020}} according to some sources,{{cite news |last=Orr |first=David |date=7 November 2004 |title=Giant hail killed more than 200 in Himalayas |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/1476074/Giant-hail-killed-more-than-200-in-Himalayas.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=27 July 2020}} these injuries were caused by round objects from above, and were the common cause of death amongst the deceased. Those researchers concluded that the victims had been caught in a sudden hailstorm, just as described in local legends and songs. Radiocarbon dating of the bones at Oxford University's Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit determined the time of death to be 850 CE ±30 years.{{citation needed|date=May 2013}} More recently, radiocarbon dating combined with genome-wide analysis of 38 individuals from Roopkund Lake, found that the remains are from different eras and belong to three distinct groups.{{cite web |title=8th International Symposium on Biomolecular Archaeology |url=https://www.isba8.de/fileadmin/congress/media/isba2018/druckelemente/ISBA2018%20Programm.pdf |website=isba8.de |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919211418/https://www.isba8.de/fileadmin/congress/media/isba2018/druckelemente/ISBA2018%20Programm.pdf |archive-date=19 September 2018}}{{cite journal |last1=Harney |first1=Éadaoin |last2=Nayak |first2=Ayushi |last3=Patterson |first3=Nick |last4=Joglekar |first4=Pramod |last5=Mushrif-Tripathy |first5=Veena |last6=Mallick |first6=Swapan |last7=Rohland |first7=Nadin |last8=Sedig |first8=Jakob |last9=Adamski |first9=Nicole |last10=Bernardos |first10=Rebecca |last11=Broomandkhoshbacht |first11=Nasreen |last12=Culleton |first12=Brendan J. |last13=Ferry |first13=Matthew |last14=Harper |first14=Thomas K. |last15=Michel |first15=Megan |last16=Oppenheimer |first16=Jonas |last17=Stewardson |first17=Kristin |last18=Zhang |first18=Zhao |last19=Bartwal |first19=Maanwendra Singh |last20=Kumar |first20=Sachin |last21=Diyundi |first21=Subhash Chandra |last22=Roberts |first22=Patrick |last23=Boivin |first23=Nicole |last24=Kennett |first24=Douglas J. |last25=Thangaraj |first25=Kumarasamy |last26=Reich |first26=David |last27=Rai |first27=Niraj |last28=Rai |first28=N |title=Ancient DNA from the skeletons of Roopkund Lake reveals Mediterranean migrants in India |journal=Nature Communications |date=December 2019 |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=3670 |doi=10.1038/s41467-019-11357-9 |pmid=31431628 |pmc=6702210 |bibcode=2019NatCo..10.3670H}} A group of 23 individuals (dated ~800 CE) had typical South Asian ancestry, one individual (dated ~1800 CE) had Southeast Asian ancestry, and 14 individuals (dated ~1800 CE) had ancestry typical of the eastern Mediterranean, and specifically of present-day people from mainland Greece and Crete. Those findings counter the theory that the individuals died in a single catastrophic event. The radiocarbon dating further suggests that the older, South Asian remains were deposited over an extended period of time, while the younger, eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asian remains were deposited during a single event.

There is growing concern about the regular loss of skeletons and it is feared that, if steps are not taken to conserve them, the skeletons may gradually vanish in the years to come.{{cite web |title=Skeletons:AWOL |url=http://uttarakhand.org/2005/07/statesman-2005716-skeletons-awol/ |work=Satesman |date=16 July 2005 |publisher=uttarakhand.org (Govt. website) |access-date=30 May 2013}} It is reported that tourists visiting the area are in the habit of taking back the bones in large numbers and the district administration has expressed the need to protect the area.{{cite news |last=Kazmi |first=SMA |title=Tourists to Roopkund trek back with human skeletons |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/tourists-to-roopkund-trek-back-with-human-skeletons/238208/ |newspaper=The Indian Express |date=12 November 2007}} The district magistrate of Chamoli District has reported that tourists, trekkers, and curious researchers are transporting the skeletons on mules and recommended that the area should be protected. Government agencies have made efforts to develop the area as an eco-tourism destination to protect the skeletons.{{cite news |last=Kazmi |first=SMA |title=Roopkund's skeletal tales |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090205/dplus1.htm |access-date=30 May 2013 |newspaper=The Tribune |date=5 February 2009}}

A religious festival is held at the alpine meadow of Bedni Bugyal every autumn with nearby villages participating. A larger celebration, the Nanda Devi Raj Jat, takes place once every twelve years at Roopkund, during which Goddess Nanda is worshipped.

Roopkund is a picturesque tourist destination and one of the important places for trekking. To the north of Roopkund lie 3 peaks Trishul, Nanda Ghunti, and Junargali, while Chandania Kot peak is to the east. Roopkund is situated in a bowl-like depression at the base of the Trishul massif. The lake is flanked by the rock face of Junargali to the north and the peak of Chandania Kot to the east. Trekkers climb the Junargali peak to get a better view of Trishul and Nanda Ghunti and other areas to the north of Roopkund.{{cite book |last=Nigam |first=Devesh |title=Tourism, environment and development of Garhwal Himalaya |year=2002 |publisher=Mittal Publ. |location=New Delhi |isbn=9788170998709 |page=28 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MK1nAp5hTWsC&q=Roopkund&pg=PA28 |edition=1.}}

File:Bedni Bugal on way to roopkund.jpg.]]

The Roopkund lake is covered with ice for most of the year, with the best time to trek being in autumn (mid-September to October). Trekkers have several options of shorter or longer as well as easier or strenuous routes. The typical trek from Lohajung to Roopkund is a multi-day trek via medows (bugyals) and snow-covered alpine areas, often taking 5 days. Motorable roads are available till Lohajung (also called Loaganj, 10,400 ft elevation) starting point for trek or further to Wan village (base camp for Route-1) and Didina village (base camp for Route-2). Route beyond Wan or Didna is on-foot only, and goes northeast via Bedni Bugyal high-altitute medow campground approximately half-way to Roopkund, Patar Nachauni, Kelwa Vinayak temple, and Bhagwabasa before reaching Roopkund. The final ascent to Roopkund from Bhagwabasa is a challenging climb. Guesthouses are available at Lohajung, Wan and Didina villages have paid homestays, and during the trekking season the camping is common in Ali Bugyal and Bedni Bugyal medows.

• Route-1 Lohajung-Wan-Bedni Bugyal-Roopkund route:
• The older and traditional shorter but steeper route 53 km multi-day on-foot hiking trek to Roopkund is via Wan village. The trek starts from Lohaganj pass with a gentle hike to Wan village 15 km (7-8 hours) north from Lohajung which is also used as the base camp for the trek. The 10-12 km (one-day) climb from Wan to Bedni Bugyal to the east is shorter but steeper well-marked ascent through dense forest. Wan is connected to Lohajung via motorbale road where paid 45 minutes long jeep rides are available for hire, hence some trekker choose to start the trek from the Wan itself.

• Route-2 Lohajung-Didna-Ali Bugyal-Bedni Bugyal-Roopkund route:
• The trek via Didina village 10 km (5 hours) northeast from Lohajung is bit longer as the Didina to Bedni Bugyal section is less steep and strenuous. Didina is connected to Lohajung via motorbale road, hence some trekker choose to start the trek from the Didina itself.

Roopkund is reachable by the nearest airport at Pantnagar Airport (250 km south), nearest railway at Kathgodam Railway Station (235 km south, Karanprayag 80 km west will be the nearest railway station after Char Dham Railway is completed), or by road or bus from Bageshwar (82 km southeast), Rudraprayag (115 km west), Pithoragarh (200 km southeast), Kathgodam (235 km south).

Roopkund's skeletons were featured in a National Geographic documentary, "Riddles of the Dead: Skeleton Lake".{{cite web |url=http://www.miditech.tv/content.aspx?page=skeleton_lake |title=Skeleton Lake |publisher=Miditech.tv |access-date=2 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206152124/http://www.miditech.tv/content.aspx?page=skeleton_lake |archive-date=6 February 2012}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20130521163404/http://natgeotv.com/asia/riddles-of-the-dead/about Riddles of the Dead Episode Guide], National Geographic Channel India's Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) commissioned the documentary The Mysterious Frozen Lake in the Himalayas,{{Citation |title=The Mysterious Frozen Lake in Himalayas. |url=https://vimeo.com/53057210 |language=en |access-date=18 March 2021}} where a scientific team and a film crew try to investigate the lake.

• Geography of Uttarakhand
• Tourism in Uttarakhand
• List of unsolved deaths

• Yatra, pilgrimages in the nearby area
• Char Dham
• Nanda Devi Raj Jat

{{Reflist}}

• Aitken, Bill. The Nanda Devi Affair, Penguin Books India, 1994. {{ISBN|0140240454}}.

{{Commons}}

• {{Wikivoyage-inline|Uttarakhand}}
• [http://almora.nic.in/pages/display/158-roopkund-trek Roopkund Trek], District Administration-Almora
• [https://garhwalitraveller.blogspot.com/2019/07/roopkund-trek-skeleton-lake.html Roopkund Lake]. Garhwali Traveller
• {{Skeptoid | id=4323 | number=323 | title= 8 Spooky Places, and Why They're Like That| date= August 14, 2012| quote= 4. The Skeleton Lake of Roopkund | access-date=}}
• [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/12/14/the-skeletons-at-the-lake The Skeletons at the Lake]; article in The New Yorker magazine
• [https://www.academia.edu/113207737/ Roopkund Human Skeletal Remains: A Short Note on the Signs of Nutritional Stress and Anemia on the Cranial and Orbital Surface]
• [https://www.academia.edu/6238666/ Roopkund: An Unsolved Mystery]

{{Waters of South Asia}}

{{Hydrography of Uttarakhand}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Geography of Chamoli district

Category:Glacial lakes of India

Category:Lakes of Uttarakhand

Category:Unsolved deaths in India

Category:Hiking trails in Uttarakhand