A variety of rudraksha beads were on display at the exhibition. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 20: An exhibition at Hotel Swosti that was held a few days ago showcased varieties of the bead rudraksha that is said to have mystical powers.

Be it for success and power or relief from mental stress, rudraksha beads were worn around the neck even by late prime minister Indira Gandhi. Students, politicians, businessmen and even actors such as Rajnikanth can be seen flaunting rudraksha garlands.

Found in the Himalayas and many parts of south India, rudrakshas are available in different sizes in countries such as Indonesia, Nepal, Java, Sumatra, Australia and the Hawaiian islands.

Many of these varieties were exhibited at the event. The beads are classified according to the number of divisions on the outer surface starting from a single faced (ek mukhi) rudraksha to the 21-faced rudraksha (ikkis mukhi).

“It is believed that more the number of faces on the bead, the more powerful the rudraksha is. Of course, none of them have any adverse effects,” says Sumeer Kakodkar, proprietor Rudrashakti and organiser of the exhibition.

The exhibition showcased all the 21-faced rudrakshas.

“Rudrakshas are believed to be plants that were born out of a tear drop of Lord Shiva’s eyes when he woke up after years of meditation,” says Kakodkar.

“Today, people are aware about the advantages of using rudrakshas,” he adds.

While there are many cheaper varieties available at different stores in the market, the purity of the rudraksha can be tested through an X-ray of the bead. “An X-ray should show as many pockets inside the bead as there are faces outside to confirm the purity. Artificial ones fail this test,” says Kakodkar.

The beads that are worn as a single rudraksha or as a bead of rudrakshas of increasing number of faces, is highly priced. The cost goes up with the number of faces of the bead.

“A single faced rudraksha comes at Rs 60 while the price increases to few hundreds as the number of faces increases,” says Kakodkar. “The highest faced, that is the 21-faced rudraksha is priced at Rs 45 lakh,” he adds.