Japa guides
Plain guides to counting japa: how to use a mala, why it has 108 beads, the sumeru bead, sava lakh jaap, anushthan and how many times to chant.
- Updated 22 October 2026 How to do japa with a mala How to hold a japa mala and why the fingers sit where they do, why you turn at the sumeru instead of crossing it, and how to count japa on your fingers.
- Updated 22 October 2026 The three voices of japa The three ways of saying japa, aloud, whispered and in the mind, why the tradition ranks them as it does, and two more forms, likhita japa and ajapa japa.
- Updated 22 October 2026 Why 108 beads Why japa malas have 108 beads, what the number means in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions, why some malas have 54 or 27 beads, and what the 109th bead is for.
- Updated 22 October 2026 The sumeru bead What the sumeru bead is, why it is never counted or crossed, and the less-known parts of a mala, from marker beads to the Tibetan counters that track a lakh.
- Updated 22 October 2026 Sava lakh jaap Sava lakh jaap is 1,25,000 repetitions of a mantra, or 1,158 malas of 108. How many malas a day it takes, how many days, and how to plan and keep count.
- Updated 22 October 2026 What a mala is made of What japa malas are made of and what each material carries, from rudraksha and tulsi to sphatik crystal, sandalwood, red sandalwood and lotus seed.
- Updated 22 October 2026 What is anushthan What anushthan means, how a japa anushthan differs from a sankalpa or daily practice, the usual counts, and how to plan one so you finish on the day you set.
- Updated 22 October 2026 How many times to chant How many times to chant a mantra: why the answer is counted in malas of 108, the few numbers traditions set, and how long each takes for short and long mantras.
Begin your next mala.
Japo is a japa counter that feels like the real thing. Pull a bead with your thumb, feel a soft tick, and pick up exactly where you stopped. Counting, history and goals are free.
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