Camel Bone Tibetan Mala, Buddhist Beads

Pale camel bone Tibetan mala prayer beads with terracotta red tassels.

There are 108 large pale ivory coloured beads on this Tibetan mala with reddish tasseled markers and two sets of additional smaller bone counters.

108 is a sacred number in the Buddhist tradition and the usual number of beads for malas like these. Similarly you might recite 108 mantras or perform 108 prostrations as part of your ritual devotional practice; devotion being expressed to the Buddha, the Dharma (the Buddha's teachings) and the Sangha (the followers of the teachings).

The counters are used in this way: after you've completed one "circuit" of the beads you move one counter on one side; after you've moved all the counters on that one side you move one counter on the other side; and so on until 1000 circuits are completed.

Length approx 70cm