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Rudraksha (also Rudraksh; Sanskrit: rudrākṣa ("Rudra tears")) is a large evergreen broad-leaved tree whose seed is traditionally used for prayer beads in Hinduism. Rudraksha is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the name Rudra and akṣa ("eye"). The specific epithet ganitrus is possibly taken from ganitri (or ganetri), the name for this species in Sundanese and Malay. Rudraksha grows in the area from the Gangetic Plain in foothills of the Himalayas to South-East Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea to Australia, Guam, and Hawaii.Rudraksha beads (ganetri) are the material from which garlands (108 beads in number) are made. The term is used both for the berries themselves and as a term for the type of mālā made from them. In this sense, a rudraksha is a rosary, used for repetitive prayer (japa), a common aid to worship in Hinduism. Rudraksha is also used for treatment of various diseases in traditional Indian medicine. |
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