Tulsi kanthi mala, 48 inch, set of two

The same thing as a three round kanthi, cut longer. At 48 inches it wraps three times and still sits loose, which suits anyone who finds a close mala uncomfortable in a Braj summer or under a collar.

The beads here are 3 mm rather than the smaller 2 mm usually strung for kanthi, so the mala reads more clearly against the skin and is easier to restring at home. Being cut from tulsi stem rather than turned from a block, each bead is slightly different, and a strand where every bead matches exactly is worth a second look.

It comes as a pair, which is more useful than it sounds. Thread is the part that fails, not the wood, and having the second mala already in the house is the difference between restringing at leisure and going without.

The choice between a close kanthi and a long one is entirely practical and nobody in Braj treats it as a matter of correctness. People who work outdoors or in heat often prefer the longer strand because it does not sit against a sweating throat all day; people who want the reminder pressed against the skin prefer the shorter.

Both are worn for the same reason, which has nothing to do with the mala itself. In the Radhavallabh tradition the attention belongs on Shri Radha, and Maharaj Ji redirects it there whenever a devotee starts asking about articles and rules. Tulsi at the throat is a small standing reminder of that, and a reminder is all it claims to be.

What to look for before buying

Length against neck size. Forty eight inches wraps three times on most adults and sits loose. On a smaller neck it wraps four and starts to bunch; on a larger one it may sit closer than you want. If you already own a kanthi, measure it end to end before ordering rather than judging by the number of rounds.

Three millimetre beads. These are larger than the beads usually strung for kanthi, which are closer to two millimetres. Bigger beads read more clearly against the skin and are far easier to restring at home when the thread goes, because the holes are wider and take an ordinary needle.

Cut from stem, not turned. Genuine tulsi kanthi beads are sawn from stem, so each is slightly different in length and the grain runs along the bead rather than around it. A strand where every bead is identical has been turned from a block of some other wood, and it will not take colour from wear the way tulsi does.

Keeping it, and where it sits

Because it is longer, this one sits away from the skin more than a close kanthi does and picks up less oil, so it darkens more slowly. That also means it moves about more under clothing, which some people like and others find distracting; it is worth wearing for a week before deciding which you are.

The pair matters more than it sounds. Thread is what fails, not wood, and having the second mala already in the house is the difference between restringing at leisure and going without for a fortnight while you find a shop. Keep the spare somewhere dry and away from the sun rather than in a pocket.

Restringing at home is straightforward at this bead size. Use a strong cotton or silk thread rather than nylon, which stretches and then cuts, and knot between every few beads so that a break loses three beads and not the whole strand. Any bead shop in Braj will also do it in minutes.

None of it is a requirement. The practice Maharaj Ji teaches needs no article at all, and he says so plainly in satsang. A longer kanthi is a matter of comfort, not of merit, and nobody should be told they need a particular length of anything.

A longer kanthi also changes what happens when it breaks. A short strand parts and the beads stay in your collar; a forty eight inch one parts and they go across the floor. Tie a knot at both ends of the thread rather than relying on the join alone, and if you restring it yourself, knot between every few beads. Three beads lost is an annoyance; a hundred and fifty on a station platform is the end of the mala.

None of this is required. What Maharaj Ji actually asks for is set out on the teachings page, the sayings he repeats most are on the quotes page, and the stotras are free to download as PDFs. If you are planning to visit Vrindavan, read how to meet Maharaj Ji first.