Japamala

A japamala is a string of beads used in Hindu and Buddhist traditions to count repetitions of a mantra or sacred name. Its beads support repetitive practice while helping keep count.

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Mantra: A sacred utterance, word, or phrase repeated in spiritual practice. Each bead typically marks one repetition of the mantra.
Rudraksha: A seed from trees in the genus Elaeocarpus, used in Hindu prayer beads and sacred jewelry. Rudraksha seeds are among the best-known materials for Hindu japamalas.
Vishnu: A major Hindu deity associated with preservation and protection. Vishnu devotees commonly use tulsi malas while repeating his names or mantras.
Rosary: A Catholic prayer practice and its associated sequence of beads. Both use beads to structure devotion, but the rosary follows a distinct Christian prayer cycle.
Guru bead: A distinct bead marking the end of a mala’s circular sequence. It signals the cycle’s boundary and is generally not counted as an ordinary repetition.
Tulsi: A sacred basil plant, Ocimum tenuiflorum, revered in Hindu traditions. Tulsi wood is traditionally made into beads for devotion to Vishnu and Krishna.
Krishna: A major Hindu deity revered as an avatar of Vishnu and as the supreme divine being in some traditions. Krishna-centered devotional practice uses beads to count repetitions of his names.
Tasbih: An Islamic practice of praising God through repeated phrases, often counted with beads. Tasbih shares the counting function but belongs to Islamic devotional practice.
Meru (mala bead): The prominent summit bead that marks the turning point of a prayer bead string. Practitioners commonly reverse direction at this bead rather than crossing over it.
Bodhi tree: Ficus religiosa, the tree species associated with the Buddha’s awakening. Seeds from this tree are used in some Buddhist malas.