Wikimedia Commons hosts the following photograph of George Harrison, purportedly taken while chanting Hare Krishna in Vrindavan, India in 1996:
What’s up with his right hand? It looks like the entire appendage, except for the thumb, is covered in a thick cloth wrapping. Is this some sort of ritual mitten associated with the chanting of Hare Krishna? Or is it possible that he burnt, broke, or otherwise injured his hand that year? Does anyone know the story?
There’s no mention of a hand injury in '96 in his Wikipedia entry, nor does Google return anything illuminating; most hits on “George Harrison injury” are related to when he was nearly-fatally stabbed by an intruder in his house in '99.
This is another picture which appears to be from that same trip to India in '96 (his hair and beard appear identical, and it might even be the same shirt), and his right hand looks just fine.
So, my guess is either (a) it’s a ceremonial wrapping, or (b) he injured his hand some time shortly after the above picture was taken, but it wasn’t a serious injury.
I’m not sure what the tan thing is that’s dangling from his neck in the above picture, but it is a similar color to the hand wrapping in the picture you found, so it might be possible that they’re the same item.
Aha! Answer: it’s a bead bag, meant to hold the beads that one uses to chant. As the beads are sacred, the bag is used to keep them clean and off the floor.
Well George has “Been beat up and battered 'round Been sent up, and I’ve been shot down” after all.
Maybe Dylan was jealous and broke his hand. 
Ah, so this is something akin to a rosary, then?
I know nothing about Hare Krishna, or these beads, but that article does suggest that they serve a very similar purpose to rosary beads – to help one keep count of the chants / prayers being done, as well as providing a tactile focus.
So… not a first baseman’s mitt, then?
That’s the word Kipling used.
So he didn’t have blisters on his fingers?
Nah, that was Ringo.