Gorkha- With  start of harvest season, a local of  Chhaikampar, a village nestled within the norther Gorkha, flocking to the high mountain for Yarsagumba (a caterpillar fungus) collection.

Few Yarsagumba harvesters already left, others are gearing up for desolate campsite set up in mountain grasslands and pastures., where high-quality Yarsagumba, primarily found. 

As collecting expensive medical fungus their primary income,the village turned into desert in harvest season,  that usually kicks off from late spring.  Entire family members isolated from human settlement, camping  around two and a half months in the highlands.

Meanwhile, older and physically challenged villagers who unable join others for harvesting, have sheltered in  Rongba, the lower region.

Each person generally earns between Rs. 200,000 and Rs. 400,000 per season from harvesting and selling Yarsagumba.

Recently, the Yarsagumba become rare, may not  found after some years, according to Chhiring Phunjo, one of the harvesters. 

The permit fee per person here is Rs 1,000-RSS