Why do we ring temple bells? Learn deeper spiritual meaning

synopsis

Every Hindu bows their head in devotion upon entering a temple and rings the hanging bell. Why are there bells in temples? In Hinduism, ringing the temple bell is a significant ritual. Every temple has at least one bell. Everyone who visits the temple rings the bell. As soon as you enter the temple, you unknowingly ring the bell. But many people don't know why this is done. So what is the significance?

There's an ancient saying: "Aagamaartham tu devaanaam gamanaartham tu rakshasaam | Aadou ghantaa ravam nityam devataahvaanalakshanam." This is also recited at the beginning of worship. It means that the bell should be rung before worshipping God for the arrival of deities and the departure of demons.

The sound of the bell creates 'Om.' If you listen carefully, it's nothing but 'Om.' Evil forces fear 'Om,' while deities are attracted to it. Therefore, the bell is rung to attract deities towards you and drive away evil forces, i.e., demons. The sound of the bell is very pleasing to God. By ringing the bell, devotees receive God's grace to enter the temple and then worship.

When we ring the bell upon entering the temple, the sound removes all negative energies from our body. When all kinds of negative energies are removed from the body, we worship God with concentration. The sound of the bell helps in the flow of positive energy to the body and the surrounding environment.

When we are not visiting the temple, our minds are often filled with anxieties and negative thoughts. But the mind should be calm for prayer or worship, right? As soon as you ring the bell upon entering the temple, all the anxieties in your mind disappear. The divine sound of the conch and bells removes negative energy and thoughts from our body. It calms the mind and prepares it for worship and prayer.

So, why is it said that one should not ring the bell while returning from the temple? It's like this: As soon as you have the darshan of God in the temple, the mind resonates with positive energy and thoughts. After that, when you return with love and devotion, if you ring the bell again, the positive energy, along with the sound of the bell, will drive away the vibrations within you. Therefore, to preserve the positive energy, one should not ring the bell while returning from the temple.

Many people believe that the sound that resonated when creation began is the sound of this bell. This sound is heard like the sound of 'Om.' It is also heard like 'Hreem.' Both are the sounds that existed at the beginning of creation. It is said that ringing the bell gives the virtue of chanting the 'Om' mantra. According to religious beliefs, ringing the bell awakens the primordial consciousness and divine consciousness in the idols. It blesses you.