The number 108 is a sacred number for Hindus. It is always used as the number of beads in a Vara Mala or a Vrata Mala. But, how many of us know the actual importance of this number? Here is a brief explanation of why this number is so pristine and holy for Hindus.

•    The diameter of the Sun is 108 times more than the diameter of the Earth. Also, the distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.

•    The average distance from the Earth to the Moon is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.

•    There are 108 vital points in the human body as per Ayurveda which are extremely vital for giving life to living beings.
 
•    The Sri Chakra yantra, which is very powerful, intersects at 54 points, with a masculine and feminine quality each, totaling up to 108

•    According to Indian Astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets, the product of which equals 108.

•     According to Tantra, on an estimate, we breathe 21,600 times everyday out of which 10,800 are solar energy and 10,800 are lunar energy. (108x100=10,800)

•    ‘The Natya Shastra’ written by the holy saint Bharata has 108 karnas (movement of hand and feet)

•    In Sanskrit, there are 54 letters each of which can be mentioned as Shiva (masculine) and Shakti (feminine), making it a total of 108

•    There are 108 Puranas and 108 Upanishads 

•    Many Hindu traditions have spiritual significance in the numbers 9 times 12 which calculate up to 108. Also, if 1 is added to 8, the answer is 9, that 9 times 12 equals 108

•     Powers of 1, 2, 3 in math is 1, 4 and 27 respectively and the product of these three taken together is 108

•    The number 108 is considered to be a Harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits. In Sanskrit, Harshad means ‘great joy.

•    There are 108 earthly desires in mortals

•    Humans are believed to speak 108 lies

•    There are 108 forms of ignorance or human delusions

•    There are 108 intersecting energy lines which converge to form the heart chakra. 

•    It is believed that a person achieves enlightenment if he stays calm enough to take only 108 breaths in a day

•    There are three intersecting lines on the Marmas on the Shri Yantra. There are 54 such intersections, each with a masculine and a feminine, Shiva and Shakti, qualities. This makes it 108 points which define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body. 

•    The angle formed by two adjacent lines in a pentagon sums up to 108 degrees.

•    It is believed that there are 108 feelings, 36 related to our past, 36 to our present and 36 relating to our future. 

•    It is believed that Lord Krishna had 108 Gopis

•    There are 12 constellations and 9 arc segments called Namshas or Chandrakalas according to Astrology. The product of 9 and 12 is 108

•    Even the sacred river Ganga stretches to a longitude of 12 degrees and latitude of 9 degrees