Why the ringing of the bell?

[Guest guest]

Another question from a Hindu friend... I was wondering why a bell is rung before praying to a deity? Thanks for your help.

[maadhav]

it is to announce your arrival and presence there.

 

to join a congragation/meeting of teh devotees secretly/siletnly is not a good vdic manner.

 

 

[Chelaaraam]

<font color="brown">Guest ji !</font color>

<font color="blue">

Anybody calls you, your phone-bell rings.

Someone calls you, your door-bell rings.

Entrance / arrival without sound is not gentle. So people also call the names of people. When we go for prayer, at the temple, we ring the bell to announce our arrival.

Maadhav ji has said it clearly. /images/graemlins/mad.gif

</font color> <font color="brown">

 

Om Namah Shivay ! </font color>

[Guest guest]

Ringing the bell is to prevent hearing of any unwanted sounds while doing the pooja. The sonorous sound of the bell prevents other sounds from being heard

[Chelaaraam]

<font color="brown">Guest ji !</font color>

<font color="blue">

According to my idea, I think, in kirtan, bhajan and arti, people use dholak, peti, manjeeras and other country side / customary instruments to sound to prevent hearing of any unwanted sounds and to concentrate the mind to the deity while doing the pooja. But ringing bell while entering into the temple is for announce the arrival. </font color>

 

<font color="brown">

Om Nmah Shivay ! </font color>

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

In the shastra named Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu it says one should not enter a temple without making some sound and without calling out the name of the deity. Usually there will be a bell hung outside that we can wring to announce our presence to the Lord. If no bell is there you can just call out the Lord's name "Jaya Sita Rama", "Hare Krishna", etc.

[Guest guest]

 

"it is to announce your arrival and presence there."

 

i believe deity would already know of your presence and arrival, so you must mean that it is out of sign of respects

 

"to join a congragation/meeting of teh devotees secretly/siletnly is not a good vdic manner."

 

this would be impossible to meet in secret as deities know w/out your acknowledgement. agreed that it is good vedic manner.

[maadhav]

god knows everything, but the devotees gathered there do not know who arrives, unless a bell is rung.

 

besides, even if god knows what you are thinking, still you do talk with god if you are a devotee, like: "hey krishna I am here at your feet, and ring the bell."