The stones are associated with the Hindu deity Shiva and are commonly worn for protection and for chanting mantras such as Om Namah Shivaya (Sanskrit: ॐ नमः शिवाय; Om Namaḥ Śivāya). They are primarily sourced from India, Indonesia, and Nepal for jewellery and malas (garlands) and valued similarly to semi-precious stones.[1]Rudraksha can have up to twenty one "faces" (Sanskrit: मुख, romanized: mukha, lit.'face') or locules - naturally ingrained longitudinal lines which divide the stone into segments. Each face represents a particular deity.[4][5]