Kanthi mala

[citation needed] Followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism wear kanthi malas made of Ocimum tenuiflorum (known in Hinduism as tulasi).

[2] Most Vaishnavas of this sect are given their kanthi by their guru at the time of diksha, or spiritual initiation.

[citation needed] It is said Krishna – who is revered as Svayam Bhagavan, or the "Self-Existent Lord," in Gaudiya Vaishnavism – was very fond of tulasi, and as such the plant is worshipped as "Tulasi devi" by followers of Krishna.

[4] Kanthi malas are also worn by followers of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya and the Kabir panth.

Swaminarayan instructed his followers to wear a double-stranded kanthi made of tulasi, symbolising Radha–Krishna, while Kabir instructed his disciples to wear triple-stranded kanthis – symbolising the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva – with one large bead made from either tulasi or rudraksha for Satya Purusha, the "supreme lord who dwells within, who is above all else.