The bell is an integral part of any Hindu prayer room or pooja ritual. When you enter a temple you will often find a large bell hanging down from the ceiling. People ring it as they enter and most kids beg to be lifted up to be able to ring it!
Why do we ring the bell? Is it to wake up the Lord? No, because He is ever awake and alert. Is to announce our arrival? No, because He is omnipresent. Inside the temple or outside,we are always in His presence.
Temple bells are specially made to precise specifications with regard to materials used, and the size of the bell, to produce optimal tonal quality. A good bell has a resonance that is akin to the primordial, auspicious reverberation of 'OM'.
Temple bells are made with a special alloy of metals to produce a soothing resonance. This vibration, which lasts for a few seconds, strikes a chord in our brain and all thought is blotted out. This 'thoughtless' state of mind, even for a few micro seconds, is highly beneficial to us. The sound of the bell with its soothing resonance is believed to invoke positive vibrations within us and around us, and repel or scare away negative vibes.
During Arti, bells, conches and big gongs are often rung simultaneously. All these sounds, together with the light from the arti lamps, drown out extraneous noise and distractions and help our mind focus on the deity and the prayer.
Meera Sharma
http://hindushlokasforkids.blogspot.com/
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