PEN DOWN by Yalinee Tharmabalan

Do you know why are bells rung in temples during prayers? Firstly, the bell, known in Sanskrit as the

Ghanta/Ghanti is used in all poojas for invoking the Gods.

At first, I too was not sure as to why bells were rung in temples. Personally I had always felt that maybe it was because of the auspicious sound it produced. After doing much research, to my delight, I discovered that my opinion seemed to be right ! It seems that the ringing of the bell produces the sound of Om, the universal name of the Lord. There should be auspiciousness within and without, to gain the vision of the Lord who is all-auspiciousness.

In addition to that, an added significance of ringing the bell is that they help drown any in- harmonious and or rich tonal sound produced while singing the Aarti or even chanting traditional Mantras for worship.

The exquisitely etched grooves complement the slender and graceful lines of the bell. It has a special protective lacquer coating to prevent it from tarnishing. Prayers or Pooja of any kind on any occasion are incomplete without the joyous sounds and chanting of this fine Temple Bell.

“As we start the daily ritualistic worship, we ring the bell, chanting: Aagamaarthamtu devaanaam Gamanaarthamtu rakshasaam Kurve ghantaaravam tatra Devataahvaahna lakshanam. Meaning; I ring this bell indicating the invocation of divinity, So that virtuous and noble forces Enter (my home and heart); And the demonic and evil forces from within and without, depart.”

This would allow devotees to focus all their senses, making them acutely aware of themselves and the universe to which they belong to as this eliminates distracting sounds and helps the mind to concentrate on the object of worship.

Lastly, it is interesting to see how a mere bell plays such an important role to us Hindus while prayers are performed. I will however, get deeper into this subject and find out the significance of the other musical instruments that are used during prayers as well…once I have penned it down for the next issue! ■