Located roughly at an elevation of 16,470 feet (5,020m), Roopkund Lake is a glacial lake in the Chamoli district of state Uttarakhand. It is locally known as the Mystery Lake or the Skeleton Lake due to the hundreds of skeletons found near the lake. The lake is situated in the laps of the Himalayas and the area around the lake is not inhabited. It is surrounded by rocky glaciers and snow covered mountains and is a popular trekking spot of Uttarakhand.
With a depth of around 3 m, Roopkund is popularly known for the remains of several hundred ancient humans scattered around its shores. The skeletons are widely visible in one month when the ice melts.
According to the local Legend, Raja Jasdhaval, King of Kanauj along with his pregnant wife Rani Balampa and their servants went on a pilgrimage to Nanda Devi shrine and there they faced a heavy storm. And thus the entire group disappeared near the Roopkund Lake. The skeletons were first found by a British guard in 1942. The researchers have now found that the remains were of pilgrims and the locals which date back to 840 AD.