A Prayer Wheel
A prayer wheel is of a hollow metal cylinder, often beautifully embossed, mounted on a rod handle and containing a tightly wound scroll printed with a mantra.According to the belief, spinning a prayer wheel is just as effective as reciting the sacred text aloud. This belief derives from the Buddhist belief in the power of sound and the formulas to which deities are subject. For many Buddhists, the prayer wheel also represents the Wheel of Law (or Dharma) set in motion by the Buddha.
The prayer wheel is also useful for illiterate members of the lay Buddhist communities, since they can “read” the prayers by turning the wheel. Prayer wheels come in many sizes: they may be small and attached to a stick and spun around by hand; medium-sized and set up at monasteries or temples; or very large and continuously spun by a water mill.
The external cylinder of a prayer wheel is made out of repousse metal, usually gilded bronze. The wheel is supported on a handle or axis made of wood or a precious metal. On the outside of the cylinder are inscriptions in Sanskrit or Chokoey script (Often Om Mani Padme Hum) and auspicious Buddhist symbols. This outer part is removable to allow for the insertion of the sacred text into the cylinder. The uppermost point of the prayer wheel forms the shape of a lotus bud.