Overview
- Photographs from Thursday's IPL qualifier in Dharamshala showed Anushka Sharma wearing a tulsi (kanthi) mala and a small digital jap/tally counter on her finger, and the images circulated widely online.
- Journalists identified the neck beads as a traditional tulsi mala tied to devotion to Vishnu and quoted an astrologer who said the mala serves as a spiritual anchor rather than a fashion item.
- Reporters explained the finger device as an inexpensive (about Rs 50) digital tally counter that records each mantra press and is used across secular tasks and religious recitations to avoid mental tracking.
- Social posts about the sighting drew millions of views and a mix of supportive and critical comments, with some users sharing photos of their own counters after seeing the images.
- Coverage places the moment in a broader trend of technologized worship that includes live-stream darshan, VR temple experiences, and electronic prayer tools, a shift that could widen adoption of portable devotional tech among busy devotees.