Malas (Prayer Beads)

A mala (Sanskrit:माला; mālā, meaning garland) is a set of beads commonly used by Hindus and Buddhists, usually made from 108 beads, though other numbers, usually divisible by 9, are also used. Malas are used for keeping count while reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating a mantra or the name or names of a deity. This practice  is known in Sanskrit as Japa. Hindu tradition holds that the correct way to use a mala is with the right hand, with the thumb flicking one bead to the next, and with the mala draped over the middle finger. The index finger represents ego, the greatest impediment to self-realisation, so it is considered best avoided when chanting on a mala.
 

(row one, from left to right): Sandalwood Mala, Tulsi Mala, Navratna Mala, Nani Pura Chakra Mala
(row two, from left to right): Tiger Eye Mala, Moonstone Mala, Heera Shankh, Red Carnelia Mala

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