Uttarakhand 137
this area in and around 14th century. His theory has also been
•supported by the carbon test theory of bones which has placed
these human skeletons as of some six hundred years antiquity,
Tables of the folklore
The folklore of Nanda is sung by the old ladies and bardic
.poets of the area which was translated for me by Sri Debram
Nautiyal—the Rajguru of the Nanda temple of Nauti. The
ballad when translated from original Garhwali text can be thus
expressed—
Once upon a time,
Lord Shiva married Parwati
And after day long celebrations
Happily returning home
"The caravan stopped
At the behest of Parwati
She wanted to quench her thirst.
XXX
Oh what a place to drink water
All barren and desolate
Helter and skelter ran everyone
Nervous, not knowing what to do
Seeing the plight of his retinue
Shiva thurst his Trisul
Lo behold, a gush of water
Seen turned into a big pool—
xxx
Happily Parwati descended from the palki and slowly strode
•forward to quench her thurst—
Gracefully she walked
Bowed low to drink handful of water
Wonder struck she saw a beautiful sight
Umbelievable, yet it was there
Beauty lending charms to beauty
Fascinated by the charming site
She named the lake as Rupkund
The mirror of beauty
Thereafter,