Determining the Authenticity of Rudraksha

Determining the Authenticity of Rudraksha

With Rudraksha becoming more and more popular the instances of fake Rudrakshas being manufactured are increasing. Other than the fact that an imitation Rudraksha will provide no benefit, if you are spending your hard earned money you want to make sure you get what you pay for. Fake Rudrakshas are fabricated from nuts, wild berries, lotus seeds, cardboard, plastic and other materials.They are given a realistic appearance by being hand carved with features that mimic the wrinkles, spikes and mukhis of a real Rudraksha.

They are copied with skilled accuracy, which makes it hard to tell if it’s real or fake.There also is also another imitation Rudraksha inthe market that is a cousin of the Rudraksha known as a Bhadraksha. Bhadrakshas are considered inferior because they have low energyand they lack the natural vibrations, electromagneticproperties and benefits of Rudrakshas.Bhadraksha looks almost identical to a Rudraksha but there are a few qualities that separate the two.Rudrakshas are very wrinkled with deep ridges, spikes and horns similar to a walnut. Bhadrakshas have less pronounced wrinkles andspikes and sometimes have a smoother surface.One telltale sign that that you have a Bhadraksha is that the holes in the ends are drilled.

Rudrakshas have naturally occurring holes but Bhadrakshas do not so drilling is required, which leaves a perfectly cylindrical hole. If it looks like aperfectly round hole then it’s a Bhadraksha.Rudrakshas will also be perfectly round whereas Bhadrakshas will sometimes have a more organic looking shape to them.One way to test to see if your Rudraksha is just a clever imitation is to break it open.

The inside should have as many chambers as it has facets or mukhis on the outside. This test will not work for a Bhadraksha because the Bhadraksha will have the appropriate number of chambers on the inside. You will have to use previously discussed visual signs to determine if it is a Bhadraksha.WARNING:If you are finding Rudraksha offered for very low prices it’s unlikely that they are authentic.Do not purchase your Rudrakshas from anyone advertising that they drill their “rudrakshas” claiming they are harvested while still fresh, this is a lie, any “rudraksha” that is being drilled is actually a Bhadraksha!There are many popular Mala bead, worry bead, prayer bead and Buddhist prayer bead websites trying to pass off Bhadrakshas as authentic Rudrakshas, educate yourself so that you will not make a costly mistake!