These Mala Beads come to us from Brindavan, India, where they have been hand crafted from local materials, and serve as an intrinsic part of the culture. Walking on the streets of Brindavan, you will see strings of Malas in hands, used to count repetitions of one-hundred-and-eight mantras, worn around the neck to remind the wearer of his or her inherent holy nature, and hung on statues of deities and on the corners of framed pictures of gurus and saints. Each string of Malas contains 108 beads, a number which holds manifold numerological and mythological significance within the Hindu tradition, as for Hindus, it stands as the number most connected to human life.
Our Neem Mala beads are carved from the wood of the Neem tree, a large evergreen native to India. Neem is so replete in its medicinal properties that Indians commonly refer to it as the ‘local pharmacy.’ It is said to hold the cure forty different illnesses, and that by wearing the Neem malas, all of its healing properties will be transferred to the wearer. By traditional Ayurvedic medicine, wearing Neem is said to calm Pitta types; which is to say fiery, hot personality types. Neem beads are preferable for chanting japa, or mantra. The large beads carved to be chunky and non- uniform making it easier to train the mind to stay focused on each mantra repetition as you pass these uniquely shaped beads through your hand. The smaller necklaces are more traditionally carved.
Each round of the large hand-crafted beads is 31 inches long and contains 108 genuine Indian Neem beads.The round of 10 mm beads with the orange cord and tassel is 25 inches long and the necklace of 8 mm beads with white cord and tassel is 20 inches long.