The Himalayas are a vast area spanning countries, and some of the least traveled areas in the world. With peaks that touch the skies, and gods residing amongst the tallest mountains of Nepal, the tails of mystical happenings and mysteries in the Himalayas are countless.
In this blog I cover four of my favorite mysteries based in the Himalayas of South Asia! These questions and unsolved secrets are common folklore in the surrounding countries like: India, Tibet, China and Nepal!
Let us venture into the untold, and unsolved by looking at our first mystery of the Himalayas: Skeleton Lake.
Mystery of Himalayas: RoopKund Lake the Human Skelton Lake:
This mystery of the Himalayas, is both fascinating and disturbing at the same time. What lies in the Roopkund Lake area of Uttarakhand, India, may shake you to your very bones. The lake, is famous for being a pilgrimage destination, as well as the human remains that are found scattered across the mysterious lake.
RoopKund Lake, or more famously known as Skeleton lake or Mystery Lake, sits among the Himalaya range at 4,536 meters. Pilgrims, and trekkers alike, often find themselves surrounded by the secrets of the lake in the form of human remains. With human bones scattered around what is now known as skeleton lake, people question the origin of these bones..
A British Forest Guard in 1942 first discovered the human remains in Mystery lake, and the unsolved mystery has continued to this day.
Roopkund lake is typically frozen throughout the year. However, for a short period of time, when the lake begins to thaw, skeletons begin to miraculously display themselves to the trekkers passing by. A recent study of the skeletal remains in 2019 has reported that the remains belong to two distinct groups of people. One group, who died in the area over 1,200 years ago, and the other group, who died about 200 years ago.
The Mystery of RoopKund Lake, solved?
There are two main thoughts that attemp to explain and answer this mystery of the Himalayas. You be the judge to which one you think is the truth.
The first answer to this secret is based on a local legend that the ancient king of the area, upset the local Goddess in the area, that subsequently cursed the kings family. The curse, is said, to have been to sentence the king’s entire family to death in the area, with the bones of his family washing up along the shores for all of eternity.
The second solution to the unsolved secret, is not as mythical annd nature. During the 2019 study of the human skeletons, researchers found tramatic injuries amongst the bones. Moreover, there were fractures, on the skulls, that could ultimatly be the reason for death. As the area is famous for hail storms, it is beleived that the two groups of people were caught in the hailstorm and succumbed to their death.
Depending on your beliefs, you may choose one answer to this Himalayan secret over the other. However, until more evidence emerges, it is difficult to say what the true origin of these bones are.
Shambala: The Enlightened Mystery of the Himalayas:
This mysterious and isolated place hidden away in a valley of the Himalayas, goes by many names. Shambala, of course, is the most common, but it is also known as Gyanganj, Shangri-La, or Siddhashram.
The kingdom lost and secluded in the Himalayas, is an antediluvian (belonging to a time before the biblical flood) Indian and Tibetan mystery. It is said that the city-kingdom is where eternal beings of this world are concealed and hidden away from the unenlightened. Although they are hidden away from the people of this world, they still influence the happenings of our everyday lives, in mysterious ways.
It is believed that this hidden city is the divine place in spiritual journey and that Hindus and Buddhists alike can enter into the realm only by following the Sadhana path. The mystical land in the Himalayas, is where the greatest siddha yogis, sadhus and sages reside. Moreover, it is believed that Shambala belongs to a society that contains the most enlightened people on earth.
The mystical land is where the most enlightened individuals will live for eternity. Although many have ventured deep into the Himalayas to locate this mysterious land, no one has found it. Whereas, legend has it that it can not be seen by the naked eye, or any technology like satellites. It is only through enlightenment and meditation that you will be able to visit this holy place.
This mystery of the Himalayas dates back thousands of years. It will take the most honorable and enlightened person to find this mythical place. And, of course it will stay a mystery, as they will never tell us if this place exists or not.
The Royal Massacre in Nepal – The Tragic Mystery of the Himalayan Kingdom:
Nepal has had its fair share of drama and coups when it comes to the Kings of Nepal, and being in power. However, nothing comes close to the unsolved mystery of the Royal Massacre that happened in June of 2021. To clarify, there have been official reports and statements claiming that the case has been solved, and there is no mystery behind the incidents that night and that Prince Dipendra is behind the attacks. But, if you ask any Nepali, it’s almost certain, you won’t get that story.
Looking for a full account of what happened during the Royal Family Massacre? Have a look at my detailed blog: Royal Massacre of Nepal: For Love, or Just a Conspiracy?
So what is the mystery of the Royal Massacre then?
Many Nepalis are skeptical of the reports and the investigation that occurred that night. With eye witness reports claiming that multiple masked men entered the Royal Palace. These men, wearing masks that resembled Prince Dipendra, entered the party that night, and murdered nine people, including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya.The mystery thickens as some of the bodies of Royal Family members were found throughout other places in the palace and not just in the dining hall where the party and murders supposedly occurred.
There is a book titled “Raktakunda” which is based on interviews of two different palace maids who were present at the party that night, who recount the details of the night, and confirm the various conspiracy theories from the night.
So what are the skeptics saying about this mystery of the Himalayas? Many people believe, and even the former prime minister of Nepal, Prachanda, that the massacre was actually planned and carried out by either the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) or perhaps the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The Royal Massacre mystery in Nepal, happened over 20 years ago, and there are still many questions that are unanswered. What actually happened that night? And who is responsible for it? Unless more information arises, Nepal may never know what actually happened during their mystery of the Himalayas.
The Yeti Mystery of the Himalayas!
The Yeti is one of the most sought after creatures in the world. Living and hiding in the depths of the Himalayas, many people have ventured into Nepal to find the mythical creature. When the British explorer named Eric Shipton took a picture of what seemed to be a massive hominoid footprint in the Everest region, the world was set ablaze with Yeti fever.
Of course the Yeti folklore did not begin there. Whereas, various communities living in the Himalayas, around Mount Everest region, and throughout Nepal, Tibet and even Bhutan have believed in the Yeti mystery for centuries. Each of the communities even have their own special name for the creature, typically resembling something close to a ‘Jungle Man’ or ‘Wild Man’, or as we have come to know, Yeti, which comes from the Sherpa language.
It is claimed that few have ever seen the Yeti and lived to tell the story. Claims continue to be made until this day that people have been finding Yeti shaped footprints in the high reaching areas of the Himalayas. But the real mystery lies with the famous Yeti scalp that resides in a monastery in east Nepal. Whereas, at the Khumjung monastery the sacred relic of The Yeti skull or scalp is one of the prized possessions of the villages and community that lives there.
If the so-called Yeti skull wasn’t enough to get you to believe in the ‘Jungle Man’ folklore, then what about the Yeti’s hand? Which was reported in the 1960s to resemble a large mummified primate-like hand.
Where is the Yeti skull and hand now?
Sadly the hand and skull were stolen in the 1990s, and were passed around and sold on the black market. Only a few tests were ever conducted on the hand and skull, which some researchers claimed to be a close match to human DNA, as well as Neanderthal DNA.
However, now sitting in someone’s private collection, the Yeti skull and hand mystery of the Himalayas, may never get solved.
Mystery of the Himalayas – The unsolved secrets:
Undoubtedly, there are countless other mysteries in the Himalayas. With religion, culture and heritage dating back millenniums, and some of the least explored places on earth, it is no wonder that this area of Asia holds so many secrets.
Even though some of the greatest mysteries have already been solved, there is still much to wonder and think about with others. As we all continue to be curious, explore, and travel to countries like Nepal, India and Bhutan, we will surely unlock more mysteries and secrets!
Do you know another secret or mystery of the Himalayas? If so, let us know in the comments below! We would love to explore the unexplored with you!
Want some more excitement from the Himalayan region? Then check out my favorite must-watch movies about Everest!