I know this post of mine, might be a bit too strong about my views and it might not be "okay" with certain people. But I really dont intend to hurt anyone's feelings at all, I just want to know an answer to my question.
The temple opposite my home, conducts a maha-aarti 4 times a day. Each one continues for about 15 minutes. They ring a huge bell which creates a loud sound of "Tang, Tang, Tang...!!" continuously while they do the aarti.
When this particular bell rings, I feel sorry for the Gods/ Godesses idols inside the temple. I mean, they must be confused....also a little irritated!
I dont want to hurt anyone's setiments here, but these things should have a reasoning, maybe they had a significance in the olden times when they had no watches and the only signal everyone had about the Maha- aarti was the bell's sound. But now in this era too, we go ahead with such so called traditions, creating noise pollution. One hour daily is something!!
I am a hindu. As a child I loved to be held high in my father's arms to ring the bell, whenever i visited a temple. At that age it was fun. But, as a grown up I have a question here folks, why do we ring a bell when we go the the temple?? . I mean do we intend to announce to the idols of God/Godesses that we have arrived to pay our respects! Cant that be silently done. God knows everything, right?
Hinduism is all about meditation, peaceful living, sound of OM, which is totally soothing and mesmerising. Its surely not about creating noise as if to shout out to the God and say, "Look I am praying, Please bless me with Money/ Job/ House, etc..."
(P.S. - Today we are being constantly reminded about increasing noise pollution, isnt this also contributing to the same? Just because its Godly, we dont point out at it?)
22 comments:
are u so irritated because 'you' are living in the vicinity of the temple and are getting disturbed, if this would not have been the case I think u would have enjoyed the positive vibrations of the temple bell and chants of the arti
:)
hmm in a way i agree but
rinting of the bell and the arti if im not wrong generates sound waves which bring in positivity...the vibrations work wonders...
i second AS on this one :)
Yeah the bell is damn irritating,
but also, whenever you go to the temple, m sure u must ringing it too :D
We have be seasoned in such a way that the hands tends to go toward the bell first thing we enter the temple :P Atleast I do
And as AS and Phoenix said, there might be some scientific explanation, m sure Aditi (TAI) :D
Hii
Sorry for not commenting early! :-(
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Actual Comment starts here:
Very very right! I strongly believe that our Gods are not that selfish that we need to make them happy by singing bhajans and banging bells nonstop for no reason whatsoever. You must have noticed those Jagrans and Kathaas which usually start at 10 Pm and continue till 6 in the morning. Its okay if one wants to do that but why do they put up load speakers to keep rest of the colony awake!
But as they say, chalta hai, chalta rahega! }:-|
~Y2A~
AS
We all are so used to all this, because of the values instilled in us that we dont look it the other way, maybe if i would have lived far away i wouldnt have found it irritating....but then someone else would have...also it creates noise...well if there is any scientific reason about ringing a bell..i will look it up and post it for sure....but am sure, those bells must be specially made up of something ....the one that I hear everyday...doesnt generate any positive energy according to me :P
Pheonix
I agree some bells are soothing...but not all...as I said i will look it up! :)
Nihit
Well yes.....i ring it too when i visit but you know the bells which everyone can ring are different...they are rung when one enters...but this bell (in this particular temple) is not available to all :P Only on eperson is authorised to ring it....with a huge rope...!! I dunno the significance...its diff in tamil nadu I guess....ours are better :P
Abhinav
Thanks.
Yeah i know nothing will change....we are not allowed to question....cos maybe even our elders dont know many answers :P
May be you can put suggestion note in the dakshnini box asking them to reducing the time may be just ring it like in the begining and end. Or get some less noisy smaller bell. I don't know if it will work, they might just ignore it. But you never know.
Yeah, but people here are too religious and they might start an agrguement with me :(
I ll try to think about it though...i mean maybe a survey about how many people feel the same...:)
if there are many....we can do something :P
I completely agree with you as I have an old age home right next to my building and they are in habit of ringing the bell for waking up the guys, for bathing time, for breakfast served, I mean for everything.. and tryst me it is unnecessary. Prayers are suppose to be silent and pleasing. I love hear them chant in the evening but the bell ringing that goes for an hour after that is terribly annoying and on the top of it you cant even enjoy the arti as the bell sound covers it all. I wonder if God can even her what these men praying. And trust me nobody will understand the plight till they come across it everyday of their lives. Its easy to say it gives positive vibes but bear it everyday especially when once in a week you decide to complete your sleeping dose and there goes the BELL tossing up your sleep.
Whenever I am taken to a temple, I don't bell. Just coz I don't see the need.
a maha aarthi four times a day would be very irritating, i agree..
try shifting to a temple-less area :)
i too love to ring bells at temples:)
Dont worry i dont think this post offends anybody's beliefs!!In fact i totally agree with u...i hav always felt tht god does not need huge bells to be rung in order to be pleased!! I think one can pray silently too and god wudnt mind tht i guess. Its jus too noisy these days and every festival is jus an excuse for ppl to play loud music and spoil our ears!!
Chaitali, Yeah I agree to you dear....I mean people dont understand the whole relation between them and god.....its too spiritual...actually even if we pray at home its fine, even if we pray without bathing its fine, even if we smell the flowers which are to be offered to god...it is completely fine!!! I mean these things were created only to discipline a man...not because god will angry!!! if we are disciplined in our work, sincere to it...then god will be pleased...even if we dont visit temples!!!
Dunno when evenryone will understand this! :)
Urv....yeah I really respcet you for this...and you have said...when you are "taken" to a temple....that says it all...i dunno y ppl make other ppl forcibly go to temples....its doesnt make sense at all!!! :P
Vinnie...I enjoy it too...you know something...in thane where i lived all my life b4 marriage....there was atemple close to our house too...but we never heard the bell ring continuously...it was never so much pain....but some people dont understand i guess! :P
Ria
Yeah I mean only god knows what these people actually feel about god!! :P
If they really understood him...they wudnt take efforts to please him...they would please him naturally if they behaved sincerely be it their jobs, their homes, their families...anything!
peace be with you..
the body is the temple of God.. keep it clean and feel the inner peace.. God bless
Thanks Chriz,
Yes I totally believe that!!! I wish i had took care of my body more though :)
this reminds me of a poem by Kabir. i just remember its message through which Kabir was commenting on the hindu methods of worship...he said when we enter a temple we are surrounded by so many sounds,aromas and visuals that the sole purpose of a prayer which can be beautiful and mystic is lost and all that we do in the form of prayer is all superficiality....coz the aroma,sounds and visuals are all sensory distractions....
state of mind,
Yeah I so agree to your words!!
Thanks for dropping by my blog...hope you enjoyed reading :)
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