Roopkund is a glacial lake at 5,029 metres in Chamoli district — the 'Skeleton Lake' — where hundreds of ancient human skeletons were discovered in 1942. Carbon dating established them to be approximately 1,200 years old. A landmark 2019 DNA study revealed three distinct population groups — South Asians, Southeast Asians, and Mediterranean people — suggesting multiple separate episodes of mass death. The most accepted hypothesis links the deaths to a sudden violent hailstorm. A local folk song describes a goddess sending death in the form of iron balls from the sky. The challenging 8-day trek to Roopkund from Lohajung is one of India's most iconic trekking routes.

•           Roopkund is a glacial lake at 5,029 metres in Chamoli district, often called the 'Skeleton Lake.'•  Hundreds of human skeletal remains were discovered on its shores by a British forest ranger in 1942.

•           Carbon dating placed the skeletons at approximately 1,200 years old.

•           A landmark 2019 DNA study found three distinct population groups — South Asian, Southeast Asian,and Mediterranean.

•           The leading hypothesis is that pilgrims were caught in a sudden and violent hailstorm.

•           A local folk song describes a goddess sending death 'in the form of iron balls from the sky.'

•           The mystery of multiple population groups at a remote Himalayan lake remains scientifically intriguing.

•           Roopkund is accessible via a challenging 8-day trek from Lohajung village.

•           The trekking route passes through gorgeous bugyal landscapes, high ridges, and glaciated terrain.

•           Roopkund is one of India's most iconic trekking destinations and a subject of ongoing scientific research.

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