Captivating Image from Roopkund, Featured in India Today.
Updated Sunday, December 1st, 2013.
In the year 1942, a British forest guard ventured into the remote Roopkund area of the Himalayan Mountains in India. What he stumbled upon was a chilling discovery—a lake surrounded by hundreds of skeletons. Situated at an altitude of approximately three miles above sea level, and nestled in the Himalayas, Roopkund Lake remains frozen for most of the year and can only be reached through a grueling mountain hike. As the ice thawed, revealing more skeletal remains in and around the lake, the British guard initially believed the bones belonged to Japanese soldiers who attempted to invade India during the war. However, upon closer examination, it became apparent that the bones were much older than initially thought. Since then, speculation has swirled, suggesting that these individuals perished in a landslide or were part of a mass suicide. But the truth remains elusive.
So, who were these people? What led to their demise?
In 2004, a scientific expedition embarked on a quest to answer these haunting questions. As the team collected data, they made an astonishing discovery—the bodies preserved beneath the ice were remarkably intact, still adorned with hair, skin, clothing, and jewelry. The team conducted radiocarbon and DNA testing on the estimated 200 individuals and determined that they all perished around 850 AD, belonging to two distinct groups—a family or tribe of closely related tall individuals and a relatively shorter group.
Roopkund’s Enigma Revealed: A Tale of Tragic Pilgrimage
Captivating Photograph: Roopkund, Featured by India Today
The scientific team postulated that the presence of jewelry, weapons, and shoes indicated that the taller group, related by kinship, consisted of pilgrims journeying through the valley with assistance from the shorter local porters. Researchers believe that a large family or tribe was making their way to the Nanda Devi Raj Jat, a sacred pilgrimage that occurs every twelve years at Roopkund, where the Goddess Nanda is worshipped.
However, the mystery remained: What caused their demise? Forensic experts closely examined the skulls and discovered that regardless of their stature or location around the lake, each individual had skull fractures. The blows inflicted left short, deep fractures consistent with a rounded object. Furthermore, the injuries were confined to the upper body, indicating that the blows were delivered from above.
Based on the position and size of the wounds on the skeletons, scientists ruled out avalanches, landslides, and weapons as the culprits. They concluded that the hundreds of travelers and their guides fell victim to a sudden, freak hailstorm. By estimating the size of the hail from the skull fractures, they determined that the hailstones were roughly the same diameter as a baseball. While hail is typically non-lethal, these 9th-century pilgrims found themselves trapped in the Roopkund valley without protection, subjected to a barrage of massive ice balls that had enough force to crack skulls and fracture bones. The bodies lay where they fell, frozen in time for the next 1,200 years until their discovery in 1942.
Although this may seem unbelievable, hail of this size is not unheard of in the region. In January 2013, a hailstorm claimed nine lives in India, while in 2002, 22 people were killed by a hailstorm in China. Just a few weeks ago, Australia was pummeled by hail the size of pool balls, as evidenced by pictures.
This forensic explanation aligns with local Himalayan legends surrounding the ill-fated caravan. According to Himalayan folklore, a king and his wife from Kanyakumari were embarking on a pilgrimage to the Nanda Devi Raj Jat. The king and his entourage, including dancers and musicians, disregarded local customs that strictly forbade passage. Infuriated by the disrespect, the Goddess unleashed a hailstorm upon the passing pilgrims, instantly claiming their lives.
Reports from The Daily Beast suggest that due to the growing attention drawn to the area, tourists have been pilfering numerous bones from around the lake, leaving only a few remaining. Protecting the area and the skeletal remains within and around the lake poses a challenge for local officials due to its remote location.
Here is footage showcasing the haunting Skeletal Lake at Roopkund. Although there is no narration, it provides an idea of the isolation surrounding the lake and how it could remain undiscovered for centuries.
