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The kalava I received

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Quick question The Kalava (red string tied around my wrist) I received at the Hindu temple, am I supposed to wear it a certain amount of time? I don't want to "throw it away", what does it mean to a non-hindu who receives it?

Nam.
:leafwind:
 

Fireside_Hindu

Jai Lakshmi Maa
Quick question The Kalava (red string tied around my wrist) I received at the Hindu temple, am I supposed to wear it a certain amount of time? I don't want to "throw it away", what does it mean to a non-hindu who receives it?

Nam.
:leafwind:


I don't know if their's a hard and fast rule. I have received yellow strings during the wedding ritual for Rama and Sita and was told to keep it for three days and then bury it. It's probably made of died cotton so it will biodegrade after a while. I received a red string from a man in India when I visited and found out later it was intended as a gesture of protection. I regrettably lost it, but had I not, I would have simply kept it in a keep-sake box for as long as it lasted =)

General rule of thumb is not to dispose of it in the same container as you would every day trash. Throw it out if you must, but best to simply find a nice tree to bury it under or perhaps a body of flowing water to send it off it.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
I don't know if their's a hard and fast rule. I have received yellow strings during the wedding ritual for Rama and Sita and was told to keep it for three days and then bury it. It's probably made of died cotton so it will biodegrade after a while. I received a red string from a man in India when I visited and found out later it was intended as a gesture of protection. I regrettably lost it, but had I not, I would have simply kept it in a keep-sake box for as long as it lasted =)

General rule of thumb is not to dispose of it in the same container as you would every day trash. Throw it out if you must, but best to simply find a nice tree to bury it under or perhaps a body of flowing water to send it off it.
Thank you. The priest said it was a protection by the Goddesses they did Puja for. I don't know if it's biodegradable. He said I could hang it on a tree; but, I thought that would be kind of littering.

I like that, though. Place it in a keep sake box. I will have to sleep on that.

Nam.
:herb:
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
Typically you wear it for literally as long as you can. Then tie it to a plant or tree. You could bury it as suggested if that's more comfortable.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Yes, as other people have said keep it on as long as you want and then dispose it respectfully. Perhaps it helped you even without your knowing it.
 

Sumit

Sanatana Dharma
Quick question The Kalava (red string tied around my wrist) I received at the Hindu temple, am I supposed to wear it a certain amount of time? I don't want to "throw it away", what does it mean to a non-hindu who receives it?

Nam.
:leafwind:
Whenever we had pooja at our house Pujari ties new kalava and remove older one, You can keep it as long as you want. It was 6 months back when we had yajna at our home, I still have that kalava on my wrist.
 

Kirran

Premium Member
Have never encountered kalavas. I wonder if this is a tradition associated with people of some particular geographical region?
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalava, it is a pan-Indian tradition. wrist with many threads, kalava on the hands of Prime Minister Modi (also called Mouli, which is the thread), priest tying kalava on the wrist of a child.

images
british-indian-mp-priti-patel-criticises-bbc-over-narendra-modi-coverage.jpg

2969077745_dc506668d4.jpg
 
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ratikala

Istha gosthi
namaskaram Kiran ji

Have never encountered kalavas. I wonder if this is a tradition associated with people of some particular geographical region?

keep going to the temple and one day you will :) .......in which case leave it on as long as possible , many different traditions do have very similar traditions , Tibetan Buddhists also have Red thread or cord which are tied on at certain occasions and regarded as a blessing these are often given after vow ceremonies and again kept on untill they disintegrate , ....

2013-03-29-Salugara-N03.jpg


sometimes because of their work some people both Buddhist and Hindu will not keep them on the wrist so will keep them tied somewhere close to the body .
 
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