Kautuka

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A kautuka (Sanskrit: कौतुक, romanized: kautuka) is a red or yellow coloured ritual protection thread, sometimes with knots, found on the Indian subcontinent. It is sometimes called a kalava, mauli, rakshasutra, pratisara (in North India), kaapu, kayiru, charandu or rakshadhara (in South India). A kautuka is a woven thread, cord or ribbon, states the Indologist Jan Gonda, which is traditionally believed to be protective or apotropaeic.

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