Mysteries of Frozen Lake

Stories are the soul of every land. They attach to the land and grow. Sometimes land vanishes, but stories don’t. There are many stories bound with Roopkund Lake, a frozen lake lies in the lap of Mount Trishul at altitude 16000 ft. Roopkund trek offers different moods of Nature during the entire journey. One has to cross all tree lines then grassland and finally rocky mountain to experience a unique natural beauty and most of all, the mysterious lake. It is so beautiful yet so mysterious. Locals tell a lot of tales; however, only two of them can be given the benefit of the doubt.

Here are two stories behind the mysterious Roopkund lake-

Many years ago, there was a king ruled somewhere. Once he heard about the greatness of Mount Trishul and its beauty. He couldn’t help but reach there by himself. After some time he finally decided to approach there. After day’s journey, they finally arrived at a proper altitude, king camped down at a place, and servants started preparing for dinner and later celebration. In a split of a moment, silent mountains were filled with voices and laughter. Since the mountain was sacred, Goddess Nanda Devi asked them to stop their celebration and go back, (In short asked them to behave correctly). And in a blink of second performing female dancers were disappeared into the earth, as a warning. That place is called “Paatar nachaini” now.

Seeing this, the king was furious; he neglected all orders and continued his journey. As he reached the top, heard a warning again. He didn’t listen. Suddenly a deadly storm started, and within a few seconds everyone was running for their life. Trapped in a valley with no shelter, all suffered to death.

Who were these people? No one knows. So far, after testing these bones, it has been found that all of them died because of head and shoulder injuries. Their deaths were the result of something falling from above. Taking cold environment into consideration, it was hypothetically believed (second story) that pilgrims were caught in a sudden and deadly hailstorm, thus resulting in this mysterious mass of skeletons.

**Nanda Devi was the daughter of a sage who later married to Lord Shiva. As tradition compels, she had to leave her house and live with Lord Shiva on cold mountains. Nanda Devi Yatra is organized by locals once in every 12 years.

Now experience the chill-

Roopkund lake is partially frozen. Look at it from a distance it is just like an ordinary lake but-