Why do we ring that small bell during ārati?
Why does every temple begin worship with that sound?
Walk into any Hindu temple—from the towering gopurams of Tamil Nadu to the marble mandirs of North India—and the first thing you encounter, even before darśana (sacred viewing), is the sound of a bell. The sharp, resonant clang that echoes through the sanctum sanctorum is so integral to temple worship that we’ve stopped questioning it. It feels natural, almost automatic. Ring the bell. Enter. Bow. Pray.
But is it just ritual habit? A cultural artifact we’ve inherited without understanding? Or is something deeper happening—something rooted in ancient wisdom, codified in scriptures, and validated by both spiritual insight and modern science?
The answer transforms a simple gesture into a profound act of sacred invocation.
Sanātana Dharma treats sound as sacred. The Vedas themselves were preserved through sound—śruti (श्रुति), meaning “that which is heard.” Mantras operate through sound vibration. Temple rituals are structured around acoustic precision. The ringing of the bell—ghaṇṭā-nāda (घण्टानाद)—is not decorative background noise. It is ritualized sound with scriptural mandate.
The Skanda Purāṇa, one of the eighteen major Purāṇas and among the largest, contains specific instructions about bell-ringing during worship. In the section on Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya, Chapter 6, verses 1-30 describe the importance of bells in Viṣṇu worship. The text includes this powerful declaration:
Sanskrit:
घण्टानादं करोत्येव यः पूजाकर्मणि मानवः ।
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति ॥
Transliteration:
Ghaṇṭā-nādaṁ karoty eva yaḥ pūjā-karmaṇi mānavaḥ
sarva-pāpa-vinirmukto viṣṇu-lokaṁ sa gacchati
Translation: “One who rings the bell during worship becomes freed from sins and attains the realm of Vishnu.”
This is not metaphorical language. The Purāṇic tradition explicitly connects bell-ringing with pāpa-vimukti (liberation from sin) and spiritual elevation. The act of producing ghaṇṭā-nāda—the specific sound of the sacred bell—during pūjā-karma (worship action) generates purifying effects that extend beyond the immediate ritual moment.
Hindu temple worship follows precise protocols codified in Āgama śāstras—the ritual manuals governing temple construction, deity installation, and worship procedures. These texts, particularly the Pāñcarātra and Vaikhānasa Āgamas, specify exactly when the bell must be rung:
1. During Āvāhana (Invocation)
When the deity is formally invited to be present in the mūrti (sacred form), the bell marks the transition from ordinary to sacred time. The sound announces: “Worship has begun. Divine presence is being invoked.”
2. During Upacāra Offerings
The bell rings as each offering is made:
Each ring punctuates the ritual sequence, maintaining focus and marking transitions.
3. During Ārati (Lamp Waving Ceremony)
The bell rings continuously during ārati, creating a sustained acoustic field that:
The Āgamas make clear: The bell is not optional decoration. It is structural requirement.
In daily life, we move through mundane activities—eating, working, talking, scrolling. Consciousness remains diffuse, scattered across multiple thoughts and sensory inputs. How do you signal to yourself that sacred time has begun?
The bell does exactly this. Its sound creates a temporal boundary—a clear demarcation between ordinary time (laukika-kāla) and sacred time (daivika-kāla). The moment the bell rings, the mind receives a signal: “Stop. Shift. Attend.”
This is why temples have large bells at the entrance. Devotees ring them upon entering not as superstition but as self-preparation—announcing to their own consciousness: “I am crossing from the worldly into the sacred.”
The human mind is, by default, a wandering instrument. Ancient texts describe it as capala (चपल)—restless, monkey-like. Even during prayer, thoughts drift: What’s for dinner? Did I lock the door? That person looked at me strangely…
The bell’s sharp sound acts as an acoustic anchor.
When the bell rings, the brain’s auditory cortex is stimulated. The sudden, clear sound interrupts thought patterns. For a moment—even just a moment—mental chatter stops. That moment of silence is the opening where devotion can enter.
Traditional bell design ensures this effect is sustained. Temple bells are crafted to produce prolonged resonance—the sound doesn’t immediately die but lingers, creating waves of vibration that continue for several seconds. This extended resonance keeps the mind tethered to the present, preventing it from slipping back into distraction.
Sound is not just heard—it transforms space. When a bell rings in an enclosed temple chamber, the sound waves bounce off stone walls, creating complex patterns of interference and resonance. The entire space becomes saturated with vibration.
In traditional thought, this acoustic saturation is understood as purification. Just as incense (dhūpa) purifies the air and visual environment, the bell’s sound purifies the subtle atmosphere—removing stagnant energies, dispelling negative thought-forms, and establishing a field conducive to divine presence.
The Skanda Purāṇa explicitly states: “Where a bell with my [Vishnu’s] name inscribed therein is kept in front, and where the idol of Viṣṇu is worshipped, know that I am present there.” The bell doesn’t just accompany worship—it enables divine presence.
A temple bell is not just “any metal.” Traditional ghaṇṭās are crafted using pañcaloha (पञ्चलोह)—the five-metal alloy—or saptaloha (सप्तलोह)—the seven-metal alloy. The metals correspond to planets and their associated qualities:
| Metal | Planet | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Sun | Vitality, consciousness |
| Silver | Moon | Emotional clarity, calm |
| Copper | Venus | Beauty, harmony |
| Iron | Mars | Strength, courage |
| Tin | Jupiter | Wisdom, expansion |
| Lead | Saturn | Discipline, grounding |
| Mercury | Mercury | Intelligence, communication |
The precise ratios are traditional secrets passed down through generations of bell-makers. When these metals are combined and cast in specific proportions, the resulting bell produces a sound with unique characteristics:
1. Harmonic Richness
A well-crafted temple bell doesn’t produce a single note but a complex harmonic series—multiple frequencies sounding simultaneously. This is why the sound feels “full” rather than flat.
2. Extended Resonance
Unlike a cheap metal object that clangs and immediately falls silent, a traditional bell continues vibrating, producing sound that can last 7-15 seconds or more. This sustained resonance is what creates the trance-inducing effect.
3. Brain Hemisphere Synchronization
Modern research suggests that complex harmonic sounds can help synchronize the brain’s left and right hemispheres. The left hemisphere (analytical, verbal) and right hemisphere (intuitive, spatial) normally operate somewhat independently. Certain sounds—particularly those with rich harmonic content—can bring them into coherence, creating a state of integrated awareness.
This is why, as one neurological study noted, “The moment bell sound happens, your brain is emptied of all thoughts.” Not because the sound is loud, but because it reorganizes neural activity, shifting the brain from scattered beta waves (everyday thinking) toward more coherent alpha waves (relaxed awareness) or even theta waves (meditative states).
Look closely at a traditional temple bell’s handle. It’s not a simple knob. The handle (daṇḍa) is sculpted into the form of:
Why these specific forms? Because the handle represents prāṇa—the vital life force. When you grasp the handle and ring the bell, you’re not just holding metal—you’re channeling energy through a form that embodies divine attributes. The bell becomes an extension of your devotion, amplified through sacred iconography.
Āgamic texts explicitly state: “A bell without a handle in one of these forms is forbidden in rituals, since it may augur misfortune.” The handle is not decorative—it’s functional on a subtle level.
Before ringing the bell in formal pūjā, traditional practice includes chanting an invocation verse:
Sanskrit:
आगमार्थं तु देवानां गमनार्थं तु रक्षसाम् ।
कुर्वे घण्टारवं तत्र देवताह्वान लक्षणम् ॥
Transliteration:
Āgamārthaṁ tu devānāṁ gamanārthaṁ tu rakṣasām
kurve ghaṇṭāravaṁ tatra devatāhvāna lakṣaṇam
Translation: “I ring this bell to invoke the Gods and Goddesses, so that virtuous forces enter (my house and heart), and evil forces depart.”
This verse encapsulates the dual function of the bell:
1. Āgamārtham (आगमार्थम्) — For the arrival/coming (āgama) of the divine (devānām)
The bell sound is an invitation—a clarion call to the subtle realms: “Divine presence, I am ready. Enter this space. Witness this offering.”
2. Gamanārtham (गमनार्थम्) — For the departure/going (gamana) of obstructive forces (rakṣasām)
Simultaneously, the sound disperses negative energies. Rakṣasas here don’t necessarily mean literal demons—they represent anything that obstructs spiritual practice: mental agitation, doubt, distraction, negativity.
The bell is both invitation and expulsion—welcoming the sacred while clearing the profane.
You don’t need to be in a grand temple to participate in this ancient technology of sound. Home pūjā traditionally includes a small handbell (ghaṇṭi) for exactly this purpose.
Simple Home Practice:
The sound transforms your living room into a micro-temple. The acoustic principles remain the same. The scriptural mandate applies equally. Sacred space is created through sound, not through architecture alone.
When you ring the bell, understand: You are not making noise.
You are:
✓ Declaring sacred time — Marking the transition from mundane to ritual ✓ Aligning the senses — Anchoring wandering attention through sound ✓ Entering ritual space — Creating an acoustic field that invites divine presence ✓ Following Purāṇic mandate — Participating in practices prescribed by Skanda Purāṇa ✓ Purifying consciousness — Using sound vibration to reorganize mental states
The bell is technology of consciousness—an ancient tool for shifting awareness from ordinary perception to sacred attention.
The next time you reach for that bell before pūjā, remember:
You are not performing an empty ritual.
You are invoking principles codified in the Skanda Purāṇa and Āgamic śāstras.
You are using sound as ancient rishis did—as a bridge between human and divine.
You are creating, through vibration, a space where transformation becomes possible.
That small ring is not a habit. It is an invocation.
Ghaṇṭā Nāda. 🔔
Jayanth Dev is an author writing on Hindu scriptures, Sanatana Dharma, and mythological narratives through books, long-form articles, and explanatory talks.
His work focuses on examining scriptural ideas in context—drawing from the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas to clarify commonly misunderstood concepts and traditions. Across both fiction and non-fiction, he approaches Sanatana thought as a living framework rather than a static belief system.
Jayanth is the author of I Met Parashurama, Escaping the Unknown, and the Dhantasura series.
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