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E Prayer beads are used in everyday worship.
E The white mark on this woman’s forehead is a tilaka made of sacred ash.
She is also wearing
a curvy bindi as a decoration.
Prayer beads
Hindu prayer beads are called mala, which means ‘garland of flowers’.
The beads are made from a dried
fruit called rudraksha, which means ‘Shiva’s Eye’. It is said that Shiva sat in open-eyed meditation for 1,000 years. When he finally blinked, the tears
that streamed from his eyes became rudraksha seeds.
There are usually 109 beads on
a strand. These stand for the 108 names of Shiva, plus an extra bead. The beads are most often used to count prayers to Shiva, Ganesha and Krishna, and to recite the names of Shiva. The surface of the seed is rough and represents the austere life the Shiva worshipper should follow.
G There are many different shapes for tilaka. For example, people who worship Shiva apply three horizontal lines of sacred ash on their forehead. This is to remind themselves that God is three important things: creator, preserver and destroyer.
People who worship Vishnu apply three vertical lines of sandalwood, or a red spot surrounded by two lines, which stand for Vishnu’s feet. This is a sign that Vishnu is standing with the worshipper, looking after them.
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