A tassel is an essential and defining part of a yogic, Hindu or Buddhist Mala. A mala bead’s tassel has both a functional purpose as well as a spiritual significance.
The tassel’s significance has multiple meanings.
Throughout history, the tassel has served as a talisman and symbol of power, protection, prestige and spiritual connection. The binding of the main cord of the mala with additional yarn symbolizes our connection to the Divine and the inherent oneness of all reality.
A mala’s tassel can also symbolize the fourth state of turiya (pure consciousness), the wearer’s wish to cultivate prana (life force energy), and one’s yearning towards moksha (liberation).
In Buddhism, the tassel represents the roots of the lotus plant to remind the wearer of the analogy of “no mud, no lotus.”
The color of a mala’s tassel can also have an important spiritual and phycological effect on its wearer.