A Japamala (mala) or rosary is a string of prayer beads that people of various religious traditions use to count mantras or the number of recitations of the name of God. Most of the Hindus use a Japamala with 108 beads. But why are there 108 beads on a mala? Actually, there are not 108 but 109 beads in a mala. The extra bead serves as a start point and endpoint for counting the repetitions of the mantra or the name of God. This bead is called Meru/guru bead. It is often larger than counting beads. Most of the people…