Mala Beads. A mala is a string of beads used for prayer. Malas are made on the principle of the sacred number 108, so they will have either 108 beads or a divisible of that number: 54 or 27 beads. They can be strung on silk thread with knots between each bead to maintain consistent space between each bead. They also have a Guru bead with a tassel hanging from it. The tassel is considered the symbol of a thousand lotus petals.