Hindu Prayer Beads are considered by many to be the oldest prayer  beads in the world. Known as mala, this word translates from Sanksrit as "garland of flowers". Traditional Hindu Prayer Beads are made from Rudraksha,the dried fruit of the Elaeocarpus Ganitrus.  Rudraksha translates as "Shiva's Eye" or "Pleasing to the eye of Shiva". It is said that Shiva sat in open-eyed meditation for 1000 years. When he finally blinked, the tears that streamed from his eyes became Rudraksha seeds. They are used in Shiva mantras, as well as Ganesh and Krishna, but anything recited with them will be enhanced.

The surface of the seed is rough and represents the austere life the Siva worshipper must follow. The rudraksha seed is segmented into five sections. Seeds with a differing number of segments are sought after. The number of beads on a prayer strand varies from 32 to 108. Rudraksha come in a variety of colors and sizes. In India, that is, in the Hindu tradition, the mala is rarely used in the left hand.  It is also the custom not to cross over the Guru bead (top bead), but to go back and forth.