The History of Mala Beads Across Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam
\n\nThere is something quietly extraordinary about holding a strand of beads in your hands — the way each one passes through your fingers feels less like counting and more like being counted upon. Lapis lazuli, one of the oldest gemstones used in sacred objects, was treasured in Afghanistan's Badakhshan mines as far back as 7,000 years ago, and its deep blue still adorns prayer beads strung for devotion today.
\nMala beads have been used as tools for prayer and meditation for over 3,000 years. Originating in ancient Hindu practice, they were later woven into Buddhist and Islamic traditions — and today, whether called a mala, tasbih, tasbeeh, tesbih or komboli, these strands of beads remain one of humanity's most enduring spiritual tools.
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Where Did Mala Beads First Come From?
\n\nThe earliest recorded use of prayer beads is found in the Hindu tradition of ancient India, dating to approximately 800 BCE. The Sanskrit word mala simply means garland — and these early garlands were strung from rudraksha seeds, the dried fruit of the Elaeocarpus ganitrus tree, believed to be sacred to Lord Shiva.
\n\nThe Vedic texts describe the use of a japa mala — japa meaning the meditative repetition of a mantra or divine name — as a means of stilling the restless mind and channelling devotion. The physical act of moving from bead to bead served a deeply practical purpose: it freed the mind from counting, allowing full attention to rest on the sacred syllables being repeated.
\n\nThese earliest malas were humble objects, crafted from natural seeds, wood and clay. Yet even then, the choice of material was intentional. Different seeds, woods and stones were associated with different deities, intentions and energetic qualities — a tradition that continues to this day across all of the world's major prayer bead traditions.
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Why Does a Hindu Mala Have 108 Beads?
\n\nThe number 108 is among the most sacred in Hindu and yogic philosophy, and its significance is rich and layered. There are 108 Upanishads — the ancient philosophical texts at the heart of Vedic wisdom. There are believed to be 108 sacred sites across India. In the human body, yogic tradition identifies 108 energy lines, or nadis, that converge at the heart chakra.
\n\nAstronomically, the distance between the Earth and the Sun is approximately 108 times the Sun's diameter — a relationship the ancient Indian scholars appeared to understand with remarkable precision. For all these reasons, 108 became the sacred number of completion, and the traditional Hindu japa mala reflects this perfectly.
\n\nWhat Is the Guru Bead on a Mala?
\n\nA traditional 108-bead mala includes one additional bead: the guru bead, also called the sumeru or bindu bead. It sits at the meeting point of the two ends of the mala and is never counted in the repetitions. Instead, it serves as a marker — when the practitioner's fingers arrive at the guru bead, they know one complete cycle of 108 repetitions has been completed. It is also considered an energetic centre, a point of gratitude and reverence toward one's teacher and lineage.
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How Did Buddhism Adopt and Transform the Mala?
\n\nBuddhism emerged from within the Hindu tradition of ancient India, and it brought the mala with it. As Buddhism spread across Asia — into Tibet, China, Japan, Korea and beyond — the mala evolved alongside it, adapting to local cultures, materials and doctrinal emphases while retaining its essential function.
\n\nIn Tibetan Buddhism, the mala — often called a trengwa — remained at 108 beads and was used for counting repetitions of mantras such as Om Mani Padme Hum. Tibetan malas were traditionally made from yak bone, bodhi seeds or semi-precious gemstones, each carrying its own symbolic weight. The bodhi seed, taken from the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, was naturally among the most revered materials.
\n\nIn Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, smaller malas of 27 or 54 beads became popular — divisions of the sacred 108 — allowing for more discreet use during daily life. In Japan, the juzu or nenju has taken on a variety of forms depending on the school of Buddhist practice, with some traditions using double loops totalling 108 beads and others employing distinct bead shapes to mark intervals in longer recitation sessions.
\n\nWhich Gemstones Are Most Sacred in Buddhist Mala Traditions?
\n\nBuddhist traditions have long associated specific gemstones with spiritual qualities. Clear quartz is prized for its clarity of mind and is said to amplify intention. Amethyst, with its deep violet hue, is associated with wisdom and the crown chakra. Black obsidian is used for grounding and protection — particularly in Tibetan practice, where the demands of high-altitude meditation retreats called for grounding energies.
\n\nAcross all Buddhist traditions, the gemstone chosen for a mala was never arbitrary. Whether you explore our gemstone jewellery collection or seek out a dedicated mala strand, the material remains part of the message.
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How Did Islamic Prayer Beads — Tasbih — Come Into Being?
\n\nThe Islamic prayer bead — most commonly known as the tasbih or tasbeeh — is one of the tradition's most recognisable devotional objects, and its history is both fascinating and occasionally debated among scholars. The word tasbih derives from the Arabic root s-b-h, meaning to glorify or praise — reflecting its core purpose: the repetition of divine praise, known as dhikr.
\n\nMost scholars trace the formal adoption of prayer beads into Islamic practice to the early centuries of Islam, likely around the 8th to 9th century CE, as the faith spread across regions — including Persia, Egypt and the Indian subcontinent — where Buddhist and Hindu prayer bead traditions were well established. The practical wisdom of the counted bead was absorbed and transformed within an Islamic context.
\n\nThe standard Islamic tasbih has 99 beads, corresponding directly to the 99 Names of Allah — the Asma ul-Husna — which Muslims recite as an act of contemplation and devotion. A 33-bead version is equally common; worshippers complete three cycles of 33 to reach the full 99. At the meeting point of the strand, a distinctive elongated bead or cylindrical marker — the imame — functions similarly to the guru bead of the Hindu mala, signalling the completion of a cycle.
\n\n\"Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.\" — Surah Ar-Ra'd 13:28\n\n
In Ottoman Turkey, the craft of tasbih-making — known as tesbih in Turkish — was elevated to a high art form. Istanbul's Grand Bazaar housed dedicated tesbih workshops where master craftsmen worked with amber, coral, silver-inlaid ebony and hand-carved bone. The tesbih became an object of tremendous cultural prestige, gifted between dignitaries and treasured across
