The Sheshnag Lake thirteen km away is cobra’s hood with its spell-binding beauty

 Beauty Sheshnag Lake

Thirteen kilometers away is Sheshnag (meaning the cobra’s hood) with its spell-biding beauty: an 8 kilometers long and three kilometers- wide emerald- colored lake with the shining white glaciers coming down almost to the water’s edge –some of them look as if `floating on the burnished sheet of its water like so many white swans.’

Shiva performed the Tandava Nritya

Beyond Sheshnag, one faces the uphill bare route to the 4,419 meters high Mahagunas (meaning the great Viper). From here a downhill march along grassy slopes, interspersed with flowers of variegated hues, takes the pilgrim to Panchtarni (3,840 meters) where, it is said, Shiva performed the Tandava Nritya (the cosmic dance of destruction). While dancing, his massive locks loosened and out came five streams of the Gaga. It is after this that the place takes its name.