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A loop of prayer beads, conventionally 108 with a larger head bead.
Also known as: Mala beads, Prayer beads, Buddhist beads, Mala
A japamala is a loop of beads used for counting recitations in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain practice. The conventional count is 108, with a larger head bead — the meru or guru bead — that is not counted and is not crossed: the user reverses direction at it rather than passing over it. Materials carry their own associations, rudraksha seeds and tulsi wood being the commonest. It is the ancestor of the counting devices used in several other traditions.
Carries 108 beads by convention, plus a larger head bead that is not counted. The head bead marks the start and is not crossed: the user reverses direction on reaching it, which is why a mala is a loop that is nevertheless not endless in use.
Is worn as jewellery far beyond the practices it comes from, and a mala on a wrist says nothing reliable about what its wearer believes.
Contexts: Jewellery
A closed loop of many small round beads of even size, interrupted by one noticeably larger bead from which a short tassel or cord hangs.
Both are counting loops of beads.