Origin of 'Floating Islands' in the lakes at Khajiar and Rewalsar in Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

In the present communication, the origin of 'floating islands' in the lakes at Khajiar and Rewalsar, both situated in Himachal Pradesh, has been discussed. For the first time, the origin of 'floating islands' at the above two sites is determined through stratigraphical and pollen analytical investigations, supported by C-14 assays. Age of the 'floating island' at Khajiar is estimated to be about 700 A.D. The 'floating islands' seen at Rewalsar, which are of different shapes and sizes, are inferred to be of much recent origin as compared to the one at Khajiar.