What Is a Chotki?

A chotki is a prayer rope. It has its origins in the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox traditions dating back to the fourth century. The most common type today has thirty-three knots symbolizing the thirty-three years of Jesus’ life on Earth. Others have fifty, 100, or 150 knots.

Similar to a rosary, the knots are used to keep count of the prayers said. The most common use for it is the Jesus Prayer. The Jesus Prayer is a kind of “breath prayer,” with “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God” prayed on inhalation and “have mercy on me, a sinner” prayed on exhalation.

Outside of religious communities, the use of a chotki is a matter of personal spirituality, and any number of prayers could accompany its use.