Ghanta in Changu Narayan-Changunarayan photowalk-WLV-3852

Ghanta (Sanskrit: घण्टा, IAST: ghaṇṭā; Tibetan: drilbu) is the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

term for a ritual

bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...

used in Hinduistic religious practices. The ringing of the bell produces what is regarded as an auspicious sound.

Hindu temples A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hin ...

generally have one metal bell hanging at the entrance and devotees ring the bell while entering the temple which is an essential part in preparation of having a darshan. A bell is also rung by poojari during Pūjā or

Yajna Yajna ( sa, यज्ञ, yajña, translit-std=IAST, sacrifice, devotion, worship, offering) refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras.SG Nigal (1986), Axiological Approach to the Vedas, Northern Book ...

– during the waving of light, burning of incense in front of the deity, while bathing the deity and while offering food or

flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

. There are bells specially made to produce the long strains of the sound Aum.

Description

The bell is made out of five to seven precious metals, which are connected to the planets: lead (Saturn), tin (Jupiter), iron (Mars), copper (Venus), mercury (Mercury), silver (the Moon) and gold (the Sun). A clapper is attached to the inside and the bell makes a high pitched

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' b ...

when rung. The top of the bell handle is usually adorned with a brass figure - bells intended for use in the worship of Lord

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

will have a figure of Lord Nandi, while those used in the worship of Lord

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

or his

avatars Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...

Narasimha Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

will have a figure of

Garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda ...

or Panchajanya shanka or Sudarshana Chakra.

Usage

In Hinduism, bells are generally hung at the temple dome in front of the ''

Garbhagriha A ''garbhagriha'' or ''sannidhanam'' is the ''sanctum sanctorum'', the innermost sanctuary of a Hindu and Jain temples where resides the '' murti'' (idol or icon) of the primary deity of the temple. In Jainism, the main deity is known as the ' ...

''. Generally, devotees ring the bell while entering into the sanctum. It is said that by ringing the bell, the devotee informs the deity of his/her arrival. The sound of the bell is considered auspicious which welcomes

divinity Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine< ...

and dispels evil. The sound of the bell is said to disengage mind from ongoing thoughts thus making the mind more receptive. Bell ringing during

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ...

is said to help in controlling the ever wandering mind and focusing on the deity.

Mantra

In Hinduism, the ''mantra'' chanted while ringing the bell is

''Aagamaardhamtu devaanaam gamanaardhamtu rakshasaam, Kuru ghantaaravam krutva devataahvaana lanchanam'' I ring this bell indicating the invocation of divinity, so that virtuous and noble forces enter; and the demonic and evil forces, from within and without, depart.

Yogic view

From the Kundalini Yoga perspective, the sound of a bell energizes chakras and balances the distribution of energy in body. Also, the number of times the bell should be sounded depends on the number of letters in the mantra; accordingly the bell should be sounded 8, 16, 24, or 32 times. In Shilpa Shastras it is mentioned that bell should be made of panchadhatu – five metals, namely, copper, silver, gold, zinc and iron. These five metals represent the ''Pancha Bhoota, pancha bhoota''.

Symbolism

Bells have symbolic meaning in Hinduism. The curved body of the bell represents Ananta (infinite), ''Ananta''. The clapper or tongue of the bell represents Saraswati, who is the goddess of wisdom and knowledge. The handle of the bell represents ''Prana Shakti'' – vital power and is symbolically linked to Hanuman,

, Nandi (bull) or Sudarshana Chakra."Why do Hindus ring the bell in temple"
Sanskritimagazine.com, Retrieved on 3 March 2015

Gallery

File:A_temple_bell.JPG, A hanging ghanta in a temple in Tamil Nadu File:Ghanta2.jpg, A South Indian handheld ''nandi ghanta'' or ghanta with Lord Nandi depicted on the handle File:Vajra ghanta from Srivijaya era, Bangkok National Museum.jpg, A Srivijaya handheld ''vajra ghanta'' or ghanta with Vajra as the handle File:Bhuvanesvar1013.jpg, A Mandapa in Odisha with a Shikhara in Ghanta-shaped

References

Bells (percussion) Objects used in Hindu worship Bells of Nepal {{Musical instruments of Nepal