The story of an African themed Rosary

The first ever Rosary we made was inspired by a leader of my church group.

Soon after I left my previous job, I told everyone I knew I would be beading full time. While wooden and stone beads were my speciality at the time, but it became interested in exploring the skills to more traditional South African bead work. This was also motivated by our clients at the Johannesburg shop. Many would come wanting the traditional Zulu beads nesiXhosa.

When I told the group about my new career change, they gave me ideas of what I could do. The purses initially for the church, heels and my first ever Rosary. This request came from Saagar, a collector of Rosary. I didn't know he had a genuine interest then. I saw how appreciative he was when I delivered them to him. 

This is what he had to say about the African Rosary

Many cultures around the world have beads ingrained in them, however there is a deeper significance than just jewellery. The Rosary for example comes from the Catholic Church. Each bead in the rosary is meant for one prayer. The prayer is usually the "hail Mary" or the "Lord's prayer". A meditator would hold onto a bead and chant the prayer once then move onto the next bead and repeat the prayer. This goes on until all the beads are complete. A very similar practice is found in India for the Hare Krishna devotees. 

I've always been fascinated by the beauty of a Rosary and the Holiness it represents. I've been collecting them since childhood. I've always had the picture in my head of an African themed Rosary. Thanks to you, Ndabeni Creatives, you have managed to make this picture a reality. This to me is an amazing union and representation of my Indian and African roots combined with my love for God and the Christian faith.