(1) String.
(2) Rosary. Maalaa is a symbol of devotion. In Hindoo religion there are 108 beads in it. A man takes 21,600 breaths in a day. If we subtract hours of the night then we are left with 10,800 breaths. According to this the religious teachers said man should recite God's name 10,800 times a day. But God's name recited once with faith is equivalent to 100 times. And so on the basis of this argument it was decided to have 108 beads in a rosary. A religious person can do his daily chores with God's name at every breath. No Karm can come in his way. A person who uses his Maalaa with faith can call for God's blessing.

Rules for Maalaa
(1) Maalaa's beads can be of several types, such as Rudraaksh, Tulasee, Sphatik, etc. Sometimes some special kinds of beads Maalaa is prescribed for a specific Devtaa, such as for Shiv Mantra Jaap a Rudraaksh Maalaa is recommended; for Lakshmee Jee Sphatik Malaa should be used.
(2) There is one more bead, besides 108 beads, which is kept above the Maalaa. It is called Meru or Sumeru. While chanting with any Maalaa one should not cross this bead, rather one should turn around to count the Mantra.
(3) Maalaa should not be shown while chanting on it. There comes a cloth bag, called Gaumukhee or Gomukhee, which should be used to use the Maalaa for chaning. In this Gaumukhee, the person's index finger is out of the bag, because while chanting, this finger should not be used to touch the bead. Only the thumb and middle finger are used to turn the beads. Besides one should not turn the beads downward also, they should always be turned upward.
(4) After one has finished chanting, one should keep the Maalaa at a safe and clean place till it is used again.