Strange things in world Episode 6 - Skeleton Lake of Roopkund, #india

Just Imagine a frozen lake when melts, reveals the unnerving sight of the skeletons of more than 300 people. This can be only seen at Roopkund lake situated at the bottom of a small valley in the Himalayas, in Chamoli district of Uttaranchal in #India, 16,000 feet above sea level.

The skeletons are visible only for one month when this frozen lake melts. Many attempts have been made for solving this mystery, but many of questions are still unanswered.

Photo: Atul Sunsunwal / flickr

This skeletons were 1st discovered by Nanda Devi game reserve ranger H K Madhwal in 1942. Initially British authorities feared that they were Japanese force hidden in mountains but skeletons were very much older than that.
Many other things like wooden artifacts, iron spearheads, leather slippers and rings were also found along with skeletons in the lake.

Photo: Wikipedia

Some research is been carried out after retrieving skeletons. After doing DNA tests on around 100 samples & comparing with current India population they found that around 70% were linked to Iran & others were locals. After doing Radiocarbon dating on bone it was found that bones are of time period around 850 CE.

Photo: Wikipedia

Locals say that skeletons are of King of Kanauj, Raja Jasdhaval, his pregnant wife, Rani Balampa & their Servents who were perished near Roopkund lack due to heavy storm when they went on a pilgrimage to Nanda Devi shrine.

In 2004 after doing more DNA tests Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad indicated that some samples were matched to Konkanastha Brahmins (Chitpavans) from Maharashtra. Also it was found that cause of death was sudden blows to the back of the head by some round object i.e. that group was victim of sudden hailstorm which caused death of the group.

Photo: Wikipedia

Still there are many questions are unanswered like where that group was going ? What that route to trade with Tibet ?
It could be possible that the were going to "Nanda Devi Raj Jat" as it is route for same.

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You can also read previous episodes
Strange things in world Episode 5 - More than 10 Cat Island of Japan
Strange things in world Episode 4 - Hoia-Baciu Forest - The Bermuda Triangle of Romania
Strange things in world Episode 3 - Door to Hell
Strange things in world Episode 2 - World Wife Carrying Championships
Strange things in world Episode 1 - Red crabs mass migration

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