In June last year, in an undercover operation the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department along with Wildlife Crime Control Bureau of India and the Wildlife Trust of India busted an illegal trade network selling ‘hatha jodi’, an apparent ‘sacred plant root’. Except that ‘hatha jodi’ is not a root at all, it’s the penis of a monitor lizard – a “highly protected endangered species”.
On Saturday, 13 January, 101 India, which got exclusive access to the 'Operation Wildnet’, posted a video showing how the sting was carried out.
The ‘Sacred Hatha Jodi’
According to 101 India, several astrologers in Delhi and elsewhere in the country recommended a ‘sacred plant root’ Hatha Jodi to their clients for prosperity, health and wealth. Hatha Jodi translates to “clasped hands”, which the organ apparently looks like.
The astrologers asked their customers to keep “the hatha jodi in a silver box with some sindoor” in their houses. Many of the buyers were ignorant to the fact that what they were taking home was not a root but the sex organ of a lizard.
The video shows how poachers in regions like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, catch monitor lizards, cut off their penises and sell them not just in India but also in places like the United Kingdom and the US.
'Hatha Jodi’ Being Openly Sold Online
The video shows how the organ was being openly sold on e-commerce websites like Amazon and Flipkart. Now, almost six months after the operation, the websites show the product as “currently unavailable”.
Many groups on social media widely recommend the use of this “sacred root” for prosperity, as well.
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