Red Sandalwood mala is considered as one of the sacred mala that has been getting used for meditation or to worship, since ages. This mala is made up of the 108 scented beads of sandalwood along with one additional bead . It can be worn in neck or as a bracelet. A Japa mala or Mala is a string of prayer beads commonly used by Hindus, Buddhistsand some Sikhs for the spiritual practice known in Sanskrit as japa. It is usually made from 108 beads, though other numbers 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. The 109th bead on a mala is called the sumeru, bindu, stupa, or guru bead. Counting should always begin with a bead next to the sumeru. In the Hindu, Vedic tradition, if more than one mala of repetitions is to be done, one changes directions when reaching the sumeru rather than crossing it. There are numerous explanations why there are 108 beads, with the number 108 bearing special religious significance in a number of Hindu and Buddhist traditions. 27 Constellations x 4 Padas (parts) = 108 12 Zodiac Houses x 9 Planets = 108 Upanishads or the Scriptures of the Vedas = 108 Thus, when we recite or recount number 108, we are actually remembering the entire universe. This reminds us of the fact that the universal self is omnipresent, that is the innate nature of the self.
