Rudraksha

Rudraksha (IAST:Rudrākṣa) is a seed that is used as a prayer bead in Hinduism, especially in Shaivism. When they are ripe, rudraksha seeds are covered by a blue outer shell and are sometimes called blueberry beads.^[1] The seeds are produced by several species of large, evergreen, broad-leaved tree in the genus Elaeocarpus, the principle of which is Elaeocarpus ganitrus. ^[2] The seeds are associated with the Hindu deity Shiva and are commonly worn for protection and for chanting mantras such as Om Namah Shivaya (Devanagari: ॐ नमः शिवाय; IAST: Om Namaḥ Śivāya). The seeds are primarily used in India, Indonesia and Nepal as beads for organic jewellery and malas; they are valued similarly to semi-precious stones. Various meanings and interpretations are attributed to beads with different numbers of segments or the locules of seed (mukh) [Sanskrit “मुख”: face ], and rare or unique beads are highly prized and valuable