Quick answer
Choose a name and a pattern, then tap the page or press Space once for each repetition. Each tap writes the name into the next of 108 cells; one page is one mala. The pattern cells take their colour as you write them, so Ram's bow, Krishna's flute or Shiva's trishul forms as the page fills. Nothing is uploaded.
How to use it
- Choose a name. राम, सीताराम, राधे, शिव, ॐ or वाहेगुरु. Each is a short naam that fits a cell, the way likhita japa notebooks are kept.
- Choose a pattern. Each name offers the emblems of its deity: Ram's dhanush-baan, Krishna's bansuri and mor pankh, Shiva's trishul or chandra, the sun or the kalash for Om, and the diya and lotus for any name. A marigold border or a plain page work with every name.
- Say the name and write it. Tap the page, press Write the next name on a phone, or press Space or Enter on a keyboard. Backspace erases the last one.
- Fill the page. At 108 the pattern is whole, the page joins today's stack, and a new page begins.
This browser keeps today's pages and your place in them, so closing the tab and coming back finds you where you left off. A new day starts a fresh notebook. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Why writing, and why a pattern
Likhita japa is writing a mantra, usually while saying it aloud, in a notebook kept for the purpose. Its proponents consider it more powerful than speaking alone, and it certainly holds attention: the hand, the eye and the voice are all at work on the same name. Notebooks for short mantras have a grid with one name to a cell, and many people write some cells in a different ink so a pattern forms across the page. This page keeps that custom, with the pattern drawn from the deity whose name you write. Read more in the three voices of japa.
Quick reference: pages and counts
| Pages of 108 | Names written |
|---|---|
| 1 | 108 |
| 11 | 1,188 |
| 16 | 1,728 |
| 100 | 10,800 |
| 1,158 | 1,25,064 (sava lakh) |
For a longer vow, the sankalpa calculator works out how many pages a day a total takes.
Longer mantras
A grid suits a short name. Longer mantras, like the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, the Gayatri or the Mahamrityunjaya, are written line by line rather than in cells, and they are easier to count on a mala. For those, how to do japa with a mala explains the counting, and the Japo app counts them bead by bead.
Frequently asked questions
Is this online japa counter free?
Yes. It is free, needs no account and shows no ads. It runs entirely in your browser.
Does it save my count?
It keeps today's pages and your place in this browser, until you clear its data. It does not keep a history of past days. The Japo app keeps every sitting.
Can I use it as a naam jap counter?
Yes. Naam jap is japa of a divine name, and every name here is one: Ram, Sita Ram, Radhe, Shiva, Om and Waheguru.
Can I write a mantra that is not on the list?
Not on this page, which keeps to short names that fit a cell. The Japo app counts any mantra, including one you type yourself.
Why does the pattern only appear as I write?
So the page fills the way a likhita notebook does: each name is an offering, and the emblem is what they make together. The small previews beside the page show what each pattern will become.
Sources
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.