What is the Saikarali?

Saikarali is a Sanskrit word that means something like, 'a string of pearls'. Church of the East has been using this word for a very long time to refer to a string of beads that is sometimes called prayer beads. The Saikarali has been used since the fourth century, and according to tradition, St. Siphor (the captain who became one of the first priests of the Church in North India, about 60A.D) used the Saikarali to teach catechumens. The Saikarali is made of a string with 21 beads, the two ends meeting each other where two more beads and a cross are strung. A Saikarali fits over your hand, so that the beads can be slid through your thumb and forefingers.

The Little Prayer on the Saikarali is the primary meditation used with this ancient devotional aid. The Little Prayer is still today the best catechism any one can do.