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All about the holy beads

Rare rudrakshas on display at the event organised by the Indo-Nepal Rudraksha Organisation

PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

AUTHENTIC COLLECTION Under one roof

All those who swear by rudrakshas, it's time again to flock Niligiri's on Avanashi Road. For the young who take rudrakshas to be a style statement and the others who are fascinated by the holy bead, there is much to choose from here.

The Indo-Nepal Rudraksha Organisation has brought an exquisite range of rudrakshas collected from Nepal to the city for the second successive year.

At the expo-cum sale, over 1,000 varieties of rudrakshas are being displayed. They are differentiated depending on the number of vertical lines (faces) that are marked on the seed. They are named depending on the number of faces they have — ranging from one to 21.

Certain rare rudrakshas on display are the round ekmukhis and the most expensive one on show is the 21-mukhi Kubera rudraksha priced at Rs. 12.5 lakh.

While the rudrakshas with 1-14 faces are for sale, those that have between 14 and 21 faces are only for display. Priceless ones on show include naga rudrakshas, the 12-mukhi rudrakshas embedded in a surya locket and the famous Srikantamala with 27 ekmukhis and a huge ekmukhi as pendant.

There are also the sakthi swaroopa rudrani malas, believed to bring in good health. The show is meant to create awareness about rudrakshas and demonstrations will be on to identify fake ones doing the rounds. Rudrakshas believed to have medicinal properties are also on show. An added attraction this year is a range of rudraksha jewellery, again only for display. Tiny brown beads are wired in gold to make earrings and pendants. The exhibition is on till July 8 and is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

ANIMA BALAKRISHNAN

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