Sound the Bells

Bells in Hindu temples:

                Almost all of us have witnessed the presence of bells in hindu temples.Big bells, small bells, bells fashioned by the finest craftsmen in the world. When a wind blew or a storm raged, all the bells would be peal out in unison, a symphony that would send the heart of the hearer into raptures.

                     An ancient legend said that the bells continued to peal out, ceaselessly, and could be heard by anyone who listened attentively.

'Om' The universal name of the Lord.

               Certain things have the capability to make the sound “OM”, universal vibration / truth. If you place your ears close to sea shell you can hear the sound “OM”. It is believed that vibration of the sea entered the shell. So does a bell, it can create the sound “OM”  the vibrations are so huge that it can give a mild sound.

'Om' is a mystical sound which is capable enough to awake our inner conscious, prepare us to taste the bliss of awareness and the unison with the Lord. If you really want to interpret ‘OM’, then take it as 'The Sound of God', the resonance of which resembles the vibrations produced by bells.hock to any life.

 

               Awakens the inner soul & make them receptive to vital force from the temple. Also destroys bad/unwanted thoughts.

Not only in hinduism but various other Japanese religions , Buddhism  have the giant bells. 

Temple bell proportion: 

        Bell is not just made up of ordinary metal. It is made of various metals including cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, nickel, chromium and. manganese. The proportion at which each one of them mixed is real science behind a bell.

Sound therapy to raise vibration:

  Each of these bells is made to produce such a distinct sound that it can create unity of your left and right brain. The moment you ring that bell, bell produces sharp but lasting sound which lasts for minimum of seven seconds in echo mode good enough to touch your seven healing centers or chakras in your body.

             The moment bell sound happens your brain is emptied of all thoughts. Invariably you will enter state of Tran’s state where you are very receptive. This Trans state is the one with awareness. You are so occupied in mind that only way to awaken you is with a Shock! And trust me Bell works as Anti-dote to your mind.

              

               Bells had other reasons also, as most of the old temples never had doors and were located near hills and forest there would have been distinct possibilities for animals, Insects, birds to take shelter. But bell sound doesn’t allow any of the living creatures to sustain inside for a long time. So don’t be surprised if you find Old temples still brimming with energy inside with less dust, no sign of insects or animals.

               

              Ringing of bells creates an environment that enhances spiritual communion by enabling the senses to grasp the essence emotionally and aesthetically and help in restoring devotional ardor, concentration and inner peace.

Science also reiterates the fact that ringing of bells not only purifies the holy place but vibrations emitted by it cleanse the surroundings by destroying the microbes present all around us.

Temple bells are an invitation to God 

            
                  In India, it is an age old tradition to ring the bell before entering a temple and during Puja and Aarti. Ringing bells is sometimes accompanied by the sounds of conches, gongs and other musical instruments while performing the ritualistic Aarti in temples. 

                             

                    A priest when rings the bell gives a signal to the devotees to pay attention to the Puja as ringing of bells create a pleasing and auspicious musical effect on the mind of the worshippers.

The resonance produced by them activates the virtuous and noble powers to come into force and drown any inauspicious noises and comments that could distract devotees’ mind.

Why temples bells are bigger in size?

                 

                     To increase the time the vibrations occur making the amplitude greater, so that they will be louder than smaller bells.

Puranas behind temple bells:

 

            According to the Skandpuran, the ringing of temple bells absolves man from sins committed over hundred births. Let us now see how the energy is emitted from the bell and what exactly happens with the help of a subtle drawing.

The dome shaped body of the bell and the clapper when strike with each other create circles which are projected in the atmosphere.The sound generated simultaneously also emits frequencies of chaitanya predominant in Akash tattva (absolute ether element).We can see them in yellow colour. The stroke of clapper emits red coloured divine energy rays. The particles of divine energy which spread in the atmosphere and are of red colour are also seen here. The divine energy and chaitanya generated by the sound of bell drives away the negative energies.

 "so let sound the bells"

       

  

Shri 108

The number 108 is very auspicious for Hindus. It is the number of beads of a rosary and of many other things in Indian cosmology. But why is this number considered to be holy?A greater appreciation of the 108 steps to enlightenment that are dear to Hindus demonstrates the wisdom of this culture.The sages and saints of the Sacred Indian History, definitely had the more authentic ways and means to find everything through their mystic powers, that they earned through their penance and meditation.

Eighteen puranas:

               Secret lay in the 'holiness' of the number 18, as evidenced by the eighteen Puranas, and the eighteen chapters of the Bhagavad Gita; and the number 108 was obtained from 18 by slipping a zero in between, and doing this again led to 1,008.
 27 nakshatras:
                   108 was 27 times 4, that is 27 nakshatras (constellations in the moon's monthly circuit) multiplied by four of the four cardinal directions. But why should this be important? Also, in reality, the moon takes 27 and one-third days to complete its circuit, and not exactly 27. 

Ultimate mystery:

                     The mystery of these numbers while researching early Indian astronomy gave the answer that  the Indians took this to be the distance between the earth and the sun in sun-diameter units, and the distance between the earth and the moon in moon-diameter units. 

                    Three facts that any book on astronomy will verify:

           * Distance between earth and sun = 108 times sun-diameter

           * Distance between earth and moon = 108 times moon diameter 

                 * Diameter of the sun = 108 times the earth diameter. 

Excellence of Indian astronomers:

                       The third fact, that the sun is 108 times as large as the earth, because there is no evidence of that in the old astronomy manuals. If they did, it would be as amazing a coincidence as the knowledge of the correct speed of light before modern measurements. This is the really interesting fact that how indian astronomers are brilliant than our generation scientist.

How 108 is considered to be holy?

                       
                     Indian thought takes the outer cosmology to be mirrored in the inner cosmology of the human. Therefore, the number 108 is also taken to represent the 'distance' from the body of the devotee to the God within. The chain of 108 'links' is held together by 107 joints, which is the number of marmas, or weak spots, of the body in Ayurveda.

                      We can understand that the 108 beads of the rosary (japamala) must map the steps between the body and the inner sun. The devotee, while saying beads, is making a symbolic journey from the physical body to the heavens. 

                       The number 108 joined to the name is merely a boast that one is a spiritual adept, a master of the journey of 108 steps through the intermediate regions of danger.

                    The other number 1,008 has a slightly different basis. Early Indian astronomy divides the kalpa -- the total period within a creation, the day of Brahma, which is part of an infinite cycle -- into 1,008 yugas. The use of this number as a title is to boast that one knows the mystery of time from creation to annihilation. 

108 related with krishna leela:

                In Hinduism, Lord Sri Krishna, an incarnation of God, plays the flute, and the gopis dance. Vibrant colors depict the divine lila. The divine lila represents the cosmic, playful dance of life. The divine lila expresses the cosmic influence of the number 5 as this is a playful dance, rather than a serious ritual. Feelings of wholeness, bonding, oneness, and peace express the influence of the number 9. The 108 gopis engage in a cosmic dance that incorporates the qualities of 5 and 9. There is also beauty and romance in this art, and beauty and romance are associated with the planet Venus by astrologers. Also noteworthy is that Venus stations (that is, turns retrograde or direct) at points approximately 216 degrees past the previous station, which is 144 degrees (2/5) measured directly in the shortest distance between the planets. Creativity and play leads to beauty, and the Venusian power of attracting us to beauty play prominently in Hindu art as well.

108 in ayurveda:

                  All other lists of 108 unfold from Purusha (Sun) and Prakritti (Moon). For example, in Ayurveda there are a 108 marmas in the body. They are points that can heal or kill a living being. They are considered the points where consciousness connects to the body, where Purusha (consciousness) is brought into Prakritti (body) to give life to the living being (both humans and animals have these points). The 108 intersections on the Sri Chakra again relate to this numbers ability invoke the balance of Purusha and Prakritti and the primordial ability of the rishi to see both clearly. 

science behind nose stud

          

A fairly recent trend in jewelry fashion in the west is nose stud. Though fairly new in the western world, nose stud have existed for many centuries in various parts of the world. Nose rings have stood the test of time in many countries, particularly India.

Medical facts behind nose rings:

 It is said that Ayurvedic medicine associates nostril's piercing location with the female reproductive organs. That's why you need get the ear pierced by an experienced goldsmith, who knows by touching the skin, whether or not any nerve pass through the specific portion. While piercing the ear or nose, no passing nerve system should be disturbed or wounded, hence much care has to be taken for piercing. which is divided into many chapters, states. Ayuveda, which is part of the Indian Vedic Scripts, states that Nose too linked with the female reproductive organs; accordingly the nose piercing is supposed to make childbirth easier and lessen period pain during women's natural menstrual couse and periods. 

Relationship between nose and female sexual reflexes:

             There is a known close connection between the nose and the sexual reflexes. In India to predict a person's character, used to first observe the Nose of a person; it is also widely acclaimed in the "Samudrika Lakshanam" an art that studies the behavioral pattern of every individual, that points to the size, length, positioning etc. of a persons nose and predicts the character to the near accurate result. Even in the Medical terms, it is established beyond doubt, that swelling of the nasal spongy tissues and congestion of the nose occur during sexual excitement in human beings. The nasal passages of women swell, and occasionally bleed, during menstruation. Mr. Wilhelm Fliess (1858-1928 AD), an associate & close friend of Dr. Sigmund Freud, found a strange relationship between the nose and the female sexual apparatus, and held that certain gynecological complaints could be cured by cauterizing the appropriate parts of the nose.

Relationship between nose and male sexual reflexes:

                    In males, it is believed to be an affinity between the nose and the virile member, and from ancient times it was thought that a large nose was a sign of a large male sexual organ. Similarly, a woman with a little nose is believed to have a small sexual apparatus or the desire to have/indulge in sexual pleasure is minimal. 

Minimizing poisonous emission:

                    Quite apart from the above findings, the Abharana Bhushana Vidhi states, that wearing a nose ring or a nose stead is a must for a women, if one needs to enjoying life in its pleasurable counts. True. the carbon emanated during the sexual union, the poisonous emission is minimized due to the wearing of a metallic (Gold, Silver) ornament in the nose.

Avoiding a surrender to the opponent:

                   Also, the oculists believed, it is very difficult to bring into control or hypnotize or mesmerize the women who wear such sort of nostril rings/Mookuthi etc. as this functions as a controlling the brainwave length thus avoiding a surrender to the opponent who try to hypnotize. Thus the Indian aesthetic befittingly adorns the female nose with an inspired ornament, which highlights its amorous connotations. Indeed amongst the many jewels with which the Indian woman adorns herself, the nose ornament  is the perhaps the most seductive. 

Nose piercing:

                  Nose piercing should always be done using a needle. By piercing & wearing a nose ring or stead, one should have no adverse effects on the body; so it is strongly recommended to use only pure Gold (Yellow metal). Silver must be avoided to make any sort of nose ring, because it said to cause irritations, delays in healing and oxidises inside the wound and can cause allergic reactions, lumps. Even it might leave a permanent black mark on your nose.
                Nose piercing will generally take 3 weeks fully to heal, there will be hardly any redness surrounding the piercing and only a small amount of discharge mainly from the inside of the nose. Just cleanse the affected portion with clean cold water and use cotton to wipe. Do not use any force or pressure which might cause swelling.

                  Nose piercing is to take place before the age of 5-7 years old. In those olden days, they simply used to put a golden wire for the children below the age of seven and later. Later, when they grow, they used to wear different type of Nose stead (Mukkuthi) of their choice and liking with many design, stone studded and or even plain gold made one. And there was/is no creamy layer for any class, caste or creed! And no reservations on this particular subject as it was / is a custom with every Hindu women to wear a Nath  (Mookuthi). However, depending on their wealth, they used decorate this ornament with costly jewels, precious stones and size

   

seven horses of surya-seven colours in rainbow

In hinduism people worship sun as "Lord Surya". According to rig veda,
                    "Seven horses draw the chariot of Surya". Rig Veda 5. 45. 9 

These seven horses are the seven colors compromising light. These seven colors become visible in a rainbow or when light passes through a prism.Modern physics confirmed that the sun's rays travel in a curved way, but not in a straight line. Our ancestors told that the sun's chariot was drawn by seven horses tied by snakes. As the movements of the snakes are crooked and curved, so also the sun's ray.

 The phenomenon is described in a metaphysical poetic line bhujagana mita sapta turaga. The chapter on light says that there are seven colors in the white ray of the sun. Artharveda says that there are seven types of sun's rays, sapta surayasya rasmayah. 

This theory is also related with another one concept in hinduism. These seven colours in the sun ray also represents the seven important chakras of the body namely
Crown of head
Centre of eyebrows
Throat
Right of the physical heart
Navel
Genitals
Anus

Its really amazing how our ancestors related each and every part of our religion with todays modern science.
 

Wearing bangle-increases blood circulation

Hi friends....,
              The Bangles used by women are normally in the wrist part of ones hand and its constant friction increases the blood circulation level. Also the pulse beat in this portion is mostly checked for all sort of ailments. Or so it is believed. Further more the electricity passing out through outer skin is again reverted to one's own body because of the ring shaped bangles, which has no ends to pass the energy outside but to send it back to the body. This way a women gains her strength which is presumably wasted otherwise. So the ancient Hindus gave shape to this item called Bangles and later it got molded in to many shapes and designs to add more attraction and beautification.

Scientific reason behind the tradition of gifting bangles to pregnant women during baby showers in India:

 

                                    "Bangles are gifted to women during the baby shower because the tinkle of bangles provides acoustic stimuli for the baby,"Studies have shown that cheerful or calming music reduces a pregnant woman's stress and depression and helps the fetus develop the ability to hear.

 

Scientific reason behind ekadasi fasting

This is an interesting information  from the Padma Purana, which describes the relevance of Ekadasi.
              According to scientific research, it is known that the air pressure on the earth varies to extreme limits on both the new moon (Amavasya) and the full moon (Purnima) day. This is because of the orbital path combination of the sun, moon and earth.
This can be observed by the change in the nature of the tidal waves on the new moon and full moon days. The waves are very high and rough, but from the next day onwards, the waves become calm, an indication that the pressure has also receded.
              According to science, it takes about 3-4 days for the food that we eat today to reach our brain (for the brain to understand the food intake). Now, if we eat light/fast on Ekadasi days, that intake will reach the brain correspondingly on the New moon/full moon day.On both of these days, the earth pressure is at its maximum, thus leading to imbalance in everything, including ones thought process.
              So, if the input to the brain is at a minimum, the chances of the brain indulging in any wayward activity due to the high pressure imbalance also becomes minimum.
                Another explanation for Ekadasi fasting is that compared to any other day of the moon cycle, atmospheric pressure is lowest on Ekadasi days. Thus, this is the best time to fast and cleanse the bowel system. If we fast on any other day, the high pressure/strain may damage our system. Thus, it is advisable that after fasting on Ekadasi, on the immediate next day (Dwadasi), we should get up early and eat as soon as possible.
As per both the above theories, the fasting practice on Ekadasi days has a strong scientific base. People who observe the fast are asked to stay away from all types of grains, and to have a light diet of nuts, milk, fruits, etc.

It is amazing how the ancient Vedic Indians devised this method to keep ourselves fit and free from any negative influences ! The relevance of the fast has been imbibed into a story in the Puranas so that it can be easily carried on from one generation to the other...

       

Super Brain Yoga

Hello Readers........,
                            The exercise, called "Super Brain Yoga" by the Americans, is nothing but the simple "Thoppukaranam", the reverential practice done by Hindus in front of Lord Ganesha's temple.

As per the medical research and subsequent report, doing these special kind of situps while holding the opposite earlobes help stimulate brain power and remember things better.

Hindus have been doing "Super Brain Yoga" for ages in front of temples devoted to Lord Ganesha. In fact, I have observed that while crossing a Ganesha temple on road, most people stop, take off their footwear, perform "Thoppukaranam", and then resume their journey. Lord Ganesha is associated with Knowledge/Memory, a point which is now proved by this research. 

But what is saddening is that many of our traditions are being copyrighted by the western world, and the latest point in this case is "Thoppukaranam" being copyrighted as "Super Brain Yoga"...

 

 dos and don'ts of "Thoppukaranam"

 

1.Be more sensitive to yourself and your body - Most of us are not sensitive and not aware of the changes in the body. We have taken our body for granted. We are talking about movement of subtle energies in the body and hence we need to be more sensitive to ourselves.

 

2. Energy moves freely when there are no blocks hence it is always advisable to do a little bit of stretching and if possible deep breathing before doing this. (It is ideal to practice Thoppukaranam after a brief session of Pranayama on an empty stomach.)

 

 step 1 In the morning, stand facing the sun, with your feet pointing straight ahead and spread about shoulder width. Keep the tongue pressed firmly into the roof of the mouth

Step 2  Place your left hand on your right ear lobe, thumb on the front of the lobe with fingernail facing outward and second finger behind the ear lobe. The right ear lobe represents the left brain. When you hold the right ear lobe this way, you energize and activate the left brain and pituitary gland.

Step 3 Now, place your right hand on your left ear lobe, so that your thumb is on the front of the lobe facing outward. The left ear lobe represents the right brain. Holding the left ear lobe this way energizes and activates the right brain and the pineal gland.

Step 4 Press both earlobes simultaneously, making sure your left arm is inside your right.

Step 5 As you press on the earlobes, squat down as fully as you can, keeping your back straight. Do 10 to 12 rounds, inhaling through the nose on the way down and exhaling through the mouth coming up.

 

Dhwaj-Lightening arrestor

hi friends..,
               Pillars play an important role in both Hinduism and our ancient history. Kirti Stambhas were erected by Kings to commemorate their famous victories. Dhwaja Stambha, which is a very common feature in most of the Indian temples. It is a tall post-like structure, which is referred to as the flag-mast of the deity of the temple.Also, it is made of metal or has a metal covering rather than the former, which is made predominantly of stone.

During festivities, the Dhwaja Stambha is decorated with different types of flags to commemorate and celebrate that particular event. The Dhvaja Stambha is present in a straight line from the deity, just before the Vahana of the deity, which is also in the same axial line.

It is referred to as being a medium for the Heavens to be connected to the earth, which would refer to it being a spiritual connector between us earthlings and the supreme being, God, above.

                  

  But can this explanation have a deeper significance? Now what could be the reason behind constructing a metal pillar in the precincts of the temple? I believe that the Dhavaja Stambha is basically an ancient lightning arrestor. 

             

It's really wonderful how our ancient Indian Hindus have incorporated this principle in order to safeguard the most important place of their social setting, the temples.