Rudraksha seed prayer beads

Description:	The use of beads to count prayers may have been started by Indian Hindus dating back to the sixth century B.C. Prayer beads continue to be very important in the lives of people who practice Hindu religion. Prayers are repeated along with the names of favorite gods and goddesses for hours daily. There are two basic types of prayer beads corresponding to the two major Hindu sects of the gods Shiva (the destroyer) and Vishnu (the protector). These beads are seeds from the fruit from the rudraksha tree, mainly found in Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. It’s believed that the first rudraksha trees were planted by Lord Shiva’s tears, making the rudraksha tree, fruits and seeds sacred. Those who wear rudraksha beads invoke the energy of Lord Shiva, expelling negative thoughts and emotions while insuring peace of mind, prosperity and good health. This string of rudraksha prayer beads originates from India and dates to the 1960s.
Source:	http://www.digitalindy.org/cdm/ref/collection/tcm/id/230
Collection:	The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Rights:	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/;
Copyright:	Creative Commons (CC By-SA 3.0);
Geography:	India
Subjects:	India Hinduism Hinduism -- Customs and practices Vishnu (Hindu deity) Shiva (Hindu deity) Prayer 1960s

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