Travelling more than 30 countries since 1999 Gaurang has been on a journey assisting people in their meditation, prayer, and spiritual life.
The goal is to unite people with their inner self through the use of malas. A mala is useful as it helps focus and stable the mind, developing clarity.
The focus of this business is one of love, compassion, and sustainable existence in the every changing world.
People often ask how I (Gaurang) became a mala maker. As the now legend goes (which is entirely true) ...
I lived in South Korea teaching English and visiting temples in Rural Korea every weekend on my motorcycle. I would collect bracelets from there as a means of donating to the temples as well as having some symbol of the adventure.
I returned to Canada in 2004 to complete my university degree through Athabasca University majoring in Int’l Business Management. By 2005, I had moved to Saltspring Island, BC for a change and began selling bracelets in the market because I couldn’t find what I was so fond of in Korea.
One day a Swami friend of mine came to me and said "Why don't you make malas?" and within three months I found myself sitting in Bodhgaya, India (the place where Buddha obtained enlightenment) learning from a third generation mala maker whose grandfather was the first mala maker in Bodhgaya.
I often tell the story of my favourite picture in his shop of the Dalai Lama bowing to my teacher’s grandfather with many men in a circle laughing and smiling a way. The mala maker as humble as ever, beautiful. Since 2006 this has been my full time occupation with no means of income anywhere else, a grace filled life indeed. And with this grace a responsibility to give back and I am doing my best to help inspire people to develop a practice and look within for the answers.
It is an honour to serve the West through this craft. In the winters you will often find that I have left the shop to India/Nepal and other countries on my own personal pilgrimage to continue my sadhana in solitude.
Catherine has learned the craft of mala making from Gaurang and shares in the everyday duties of making malas, as well as managing all the shipping.
During Gaurang's absence travelling worldwide, Catherine is the sole mala maker at DestinationOM.
Dayal of DryTwig Design is our "pixel finesser" and manages the finer details of the site. A master of detail, Dayal helps customers manoeuver the site in a way that makes it easy to use.
Every great website needs a designer such as this!
Mission with proceeds:
Money from the sale of malas goes to sustaining our lives in the West, as well as Gaurang travelling in the winter months both on pilgrimage and collecting supplies, and sending money to friends overseas that we've hired as buyers.
If you are interested in assisting us with helping poor monks in Bodhgaya then please visit our page called "Seeds for Prayer" where we send you seeds from the EXACT tree that Buddha obtained enlightenment under in exchange for a donation to the monks. 100% of your donation goes to the monks!
Blessings and thank you for your interest,
Gaurang B. McIntyre
