From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI: For all that mad rush for Viagra, the Himalayan aphrodisiac found in the higher reaches of Tibet, Nepal, Uttarakhand and Northeast India are in great demand now.
Locally known as “Yarsagumba”, it is a small fragile, mummified body of the Himalayan bat moth caterpillar, which has been invaded by a fungus. It is believed to have medicinal properties mainly aphrodisiac values and is in great demand in the neighbouring Chinese market.
Yarsgumba is in high demand among the neo rich people of China flooded with cash from continuing economic boom, sources said.
And it is worth a lot too. The fungi can go for as much as $100 per gram, while the entire industry is worth as much as $11 billion per year.
It is believed to boost the immune system and has been prized as an aphrodisiac in Chinese culture for over 500 years.
The prized fungi are found only at 3,000-5,000 meters (9,800 to 16,000) above sea level but the altitude has not deterred hundreds of people searching for it in this fragile region.
The demand is so high and the price so lucrative that collectors grab whatever they can lay their hands on.
The fungus works by taking root in the Himalayan ghost moth larvae that live in the soil causing them to die and then mushroom out of the ground where they are then picked. If the fungus dies out, the area may see a huge boom in moths with associated knock-on effects for the area’s ecosystem.
This year the extended summer snow melting in the Himalayas has quickened the search for the coveted fungi which has led to the rise in crimes related to this rare object leading even to murder among locals.
It used to be believed that collecting these rare fungi was forbidden as per Buddhist traditions. But the high price and heavy demand in the large Chinese medicine market has lured many locals mainly Nepalis to collect the same.