The *ghanta* — the bell — is rung at three points in classical puja: at the start, when offering arati, and at the close. In larger temples, the bell is also rung at the moment the deity's *darshan* (sight) is opened, and the sound carries far enough that distant devotees know the moment of opening. The ringing of bells is one of the most distinctive auditory markers of Hindu worship.
✦ The Bell's Parts
A standard Hindu temple bell has four named parts:
- ✦**Sharira** — the body of the bell (the dome).
- ✦**Mukha** — the mouth (the open lower edge).
- ✦**Jihva** — the tongue (the internal clapper that strikes the bell).
- ✦**Chakra** — the wheel-shaped finial on top, often depicting Garuda (Vishnu's mount) or Nandi (Shiva's mount), depending on the temple's primary deity.
The classical reading: each part corresponds to part of the body or self of the worshipper. The bell is, like the diya, a small cosmological model.
✦ Why a Bell?
Three classical explanations:
Acoustic. The bell's sustained sound — typically rich in low-frequency overtones — settles the mind quickly. Modern acoustic studies have noted that bell sounds in the 100-500 Hz range produce measurable parasympathetic effects in nearby listeners. The classical claim — that the bell creates the right inner state for worship — is consistent with this.
Sankalpa. The bell signals the start, middle and end of a ritual phase. The mind, hearing the boundary, knows that ordinary thought is suspended. The bell is a kind of audible bookmark.
Driving away the inauspicious. The classical belief is that the bell sound drives away *asuric* (inauspicious) influences from the worship space. The Brihat Sambhita and various Agama texts note that the bell-sound establishes the *deva-presence* by displacing what is not deva.
✦ When to Ring
Domestic puja typically uses the bell:
- ✦At the start, after lighting the diya, while reciting the opening sankalpa.
- ✦During arati, in synchrony with the rising and falling of the lamp before the deity.
- ✦At the close, just before sitting silently.
The ringing should be steady, not jangling. A bell rung with attention sounds different from a bell rung mechanically — and the classical understanding holds the worshipper to the higher standard.
✦ Verse Recited
Many traditions recite a brief verse before ringing the bell:
*Aagamaarthantu Devanaam Gamanaarthantu Rakshasam* *Kurve Ghanta-rava Vatra Devata-aahvaana-laanchhanam*
(Translation: *I ring this bell to call the gods to come and to send the demons away — a signal of the deities' invocation.*)
✦ Practical Notes
A puja bell at home is best made of *panchaloha* — a five-metal alloy traditionally combining gold, silver, copper, brass and tin. Modern brass bells are widely sold and acceptable. Steel bells (mass-produced) tend to have a sharper, less resonant tone and are generally not preferred.
The bell should be wiped clean periodically. It is held in the left hand during arati (the right hand holds the lamp). When not in use, it is placed on the puja shelf with its mouth downward, never directly on the floor.
✦ A Note on Larger Temples
Major Hindu temples have multiple bells of varying sizes — small hand-bells used by priests during puja, and large hanging bells at the entrance of the *garbha-griha* that visiting devotees ring as they pass through. Some old temples have famously large bells (the bell at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam weighs nearly 30 kg) whose sound carries for several kilometres. The act of ringing the entrance bell is widely considered an essential part of *darshan* — even devotees who otherwise hurry through a visit will pause to ring the bell as they pass.