Yarsagumba season empties schools in Jumla villages

Some students earn up to Rs 150,000 from yarsagumba, and use it to buy books and pay for private tuition to make up for around two months of missed classes.

Dilraj Rawat of Chaurgaun in ward 3 of Patarasi Rural Municipality, Jumla, is preparing to head to the highlands to collect yarsagumba. Many of his friends have already gone in search of the caterpillar fungus prized for its purported medicinal properties. This will be his third consecutive year on the journey.