27 July,2017 09:41 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
Following mid-day's report, which highlighted the illegal sale of sex organs of Indian monitor lizards on popular online shopping portals such as Flipkart, Snapdeal as a rare 'good luck' plant, the sellers have disappeared from the websites
The 'hatha jodi' was sold online
Following mid-day's July 11 report which highlighted the illegal sale of sex organs of Indian monitor lizards on popular online shopping portals such as Flipkart, Snapdeal as a rare 'good luck' plant, the sellers have disappeared from the websites. When mid-day visited the sites on Wednesday, it found that the dried genitals that were being sold as 'hatha jodi' were not available.
The July 11 report stated that the 'hatha jodi' on Flipkart were nothing but the dried penis of the lizard. Seller MNAONLINE1931, which claims to deal in puja-related items, had been selling it as 'Numeroastro Hatha Jodi Showpiece'. On Snapdeal, it was being sold as 'Shubh-Bhakti Hatha Jodi'.
Still available on other sites
However, the product is still available on tantraveda.org as 'ORIGINAL HATHA JODI or HATA JORI and on eBay as 'Original Hatha Jodi,' 'Hattha Jodi', 'Hata Jori' and 'Hast Hathatha jodie Abhimantrit'.
The price of the product ranges from R600 to R1,400. The plant is called 'hatha jodi' since it resembles two hands joined together, as if in prayer.
Pawan Sharma, honorary wildlife warden of Thane said, "There is a need to educate the general public so that they do not fall prey to such things that are being sold in the name of bringing luck."
Bizarre beliefs
Bizarre beliefs are associated with this mythical rare plant root, which is allegedly supposed to bring its owner good luck, prosperity among other positive benefits. It is supplied from Karnataka, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, where some tribal communities consume the lizard as part of their diet.
