SCIENCE BEHIND THE TEMPLE BELL & THE INSTRUMENTS

BELL

• The temple bell is rung when a pooja(prayer) takes place. The sound that is released from the huge bell is deafening to the ears. The bell is rung to cut through our thought waves and create a neutral mode in mind. It is a fact that when sound penetrates the mind, the logical mind loses its balance as it is unable to read the meaning of the sound.

The ringing of the bell at the uniform speed controls the heartbeat and unites the devotees.

This allows energy that is release during a prayer to be distributed equally to all those present, irrespective of their mental state.

After a complete prayer session a kavasam(shield) is superficially set around our body. This is done by the sound vibration.

INSTRUMENTS 

• The percussion instruments, the natheswaram(a wind instrument) and tahvel(drums) future add to the process of making the devotee break existing individual thoughts. 

The fast beat of tahvel and natheswaram makes the heartbeat more rapid during the arathi(fire offering). This increases the blood flow and activates the brain faculty. This face paced instrumental music blocks the left brain totally, allowing the energy of God to seep into us.

SCIENCE IN TEMPLE PILLARS

• Now look at the pillars that are arranged inside the hall of the temple. In India most temples have numerous pillars. In certain  temples they even have one thousand pillars .

All the ancient pillars are carved with intricate images. One reason for these pillars is to allow devotees to learn scriptures from the images carved on the pillar.

But the more inportant reason for the pillars, is for them to hold energy that is released during prayers.

This energy remains around the pillar. When your body touches the ground as you sit, the contact with gravity makes you better conductor and you start absorbing the energies around you.

It is advisable to sit in meditation after prayers. Your body will be more receptive to the energies around. Let children run around in the temple, let them absorb this energy, it will help them stronger in body and mind.

• Theertham(holy water), that is given to devotees after prayers to drink is specially formulated water that is prepared with various spices and herbs according to the requirements for the presiding God.

Tulasi(basil), mangga(mango leaves), vepalai(neem leaves), arugham grass and vilvam leaves are used as herbs in the preparation of the holy water. Modern science has verified these herbs to be of potent medicinal value. 

The holy water helps in reducing body heat as it is a natural body coolant. it cleans your digestive system, reduces body heat and helps to build your immunity.

• The thiruneer(holy ash) is another great body stimulant. It is produced by burning and drying cow dung. The proper way to apply thiruneer is to mix it with water and apply the paste at specific points on the body.

   

Do you know what these three lines depict? 

The first line from the bottom is Brahma(Creator),

The second line is Vishnu(Preserver),

The third line is Shiva(Destroyer of ignorance) 

The dot is the centre is the third eye, shakti(power). It is placed in the centre to show us that the three energies together a dominant power that sustains life.

After you apply the white paste mixed with water on your forehead, the paste dries and leaves behind a dry powder which slowly drops. The drying occurs when the body heat is absorbed by the thiruneer(holy ash).

Thiruneer(holy ash) is applied before one performs a prayer. During prayer our body heat is increased due to the absorption of the cosmic energy and thiruneer helps to release the extra heat produced by the foreign energy.

Refer to the diagram below showing the points where thiruneer( holy ash) should be applied for maximum benefit.

So what about female devotees, Do they also apply thiruneer in the same way?

Not necessarily; women have unique glands that extract heat naturally from the body at a specific time each month. Applying the thiruneer on the forehead is sufficient for female devotees.

The other two important ingredients are the kum-kum, popularly known as kungumam and chandhanam(sandalpaste)

Kum-kum is a red coloured powder produced from manjal(tumeric). It is applied on the forehead above the chandhanam. Kum-kum has a very unique property,that is, it does not allow light to penetrate through it.

Since all the energy is centred at the forehead knowm as the third eye, kum-kum is applied at that very spot to block the energy from being released. 

Chandhanam(sandal paste) is applied to cool the body but the paste is applied on the forehead above the thiruneer(holy ash). It acts as a 'sticking agent'.

Kum-kum, being a powder will not stick on the forehead of not for the semi-liquid chandhanam acting as the base for it to stay on. 

SCIENCE IN TEMPLE STRUCTURE

We are just one individual and the energy that you can contain within yourself is limited. In a temple there are many mediums to attract and release energy waves to charge and discharge the body.

• Take for instance, the gopuram (the huge triangular structure the acts as an  entrance. 
• The gopuram, or temple entrance, is a very important structure. If you look at it closely you will normally find seven levels in the structure . These levels are the seven main chakras(power points) in our body.

At the peak of the gopuram are the kalasams (beacons) made of gold. This gold icons are kept at the tip of the gopuram to attract the energy that is drawn from the cosmic force at night.

Gold is one of the greatest conductors of electro-magnetic currents and the moon, being a powerful magnetic source, is drawn towards the gold kalasam.

The moon, in particular releases powerful energies that are caught by the kalasam. During the day, the kalasam releases these energies downwards due to the pull of gravity from the Earth's core. 

The passage which leads from the entrance acts as a scanner.
It is like passing through a security check in the airport. When you are in the centre of the beam, subtle rays are directed at your body to scan it.

That is exactly what happens to your body when you enter a temple after washing  your feet and sprinkling water on your head. A static reaction takes place when you cross the centre of the entrance.Within a fraction of a second, your body is zapped with electro-magnetic rays from the cosmic force, creating a balance in your biorhythmic state.

The sudden intrusion of foreign energy into the body, connects us to the cosmic consciousness that is God, thus drawing us into a comfortable frequency as we walk into the temple.

The presence of this extra energy in our body fine-tunes our spirit, allowing the mind and body to go through the cleansing process without much disturbance.

So next time you go through the passage in the entrance, make sure you slow down,bend down and touch the steps that are placed in the middle of the passage.

But you have noticed that most modern temples have the washing area, the place where we wash our feet and face, inside the vicinity. In fact, it is just after you pass the entrance. 

This could be due to land constraints or some other reason but the very science of connecting with the cosmic consciousness is lost here. 

The full benefit of the rays that fall on us as we pass through the passage can be felt only if our feet are wet and water has been sprinkled on the head. 

• Now look at the stone used to carve the image of our Gods. From the beginning, granite has been the only type of stone used. 

Nowadays, due to financial constraints and a shortage of skilled workers, temples are generally built with cement and plaster. However the main statues used for prayers are still sculpted from granite. 

Do you know that granite is the only stone that can absorb, retain and release electro-magnetic-waves.

It has been proven that granite contains more moisture than any other stone. The grains that form this stone are very close and intact. This makes granite a great conductor of energy. 

When the granite is sculpted and polished it becomes black naturally. As we know black absorbs energy more than any other colour.

And during the bathing rituals of the idols, the granite statues absorb the chemical reactions that takes place when milk, water,Chandhanam(sandal paste) and thiruneer(holy ash) is applied.

When the arathi(fire offering) is done to the deities which have been decorated with jewellery and garlands, the heat draws the energy that is kept inside the granite and releases it to the devotees who are nearby. 

The inner chamber in which the main idol is kept is a room with no windows. But if you were to look inside the room, you would find a hollow opening leading to the top- to the gold kalasam. Windows are placed in order to prevent the energy from escaping.

The special opening on the ceiling is designed to allow the cosmic rays that are trapped by the  kalasam to reach the granite statue, below.

During abhishegam (bathing ritual), this energy which is being held by the granite statue, brings about a chemical reaction with water, milk, chandhanam(sandal paste) and thiruneer(holy ash).

This is the reason why priest closes the entrance with a curtain immediately after the bathing ritual. 

After the decoration is complete and the curtain is opened for the Arati(fire offering), the elaborate prayer with oil lamps starts up another reaction. 

The energy that is now stored in and around the statue reacts together with the oil lamp and creates a combustion. 

The release positive energies that are directed the devotees with the aid of the oil lamps brought out for the devotees to touch. In doing so , the absorb the energies. 

  

WHAT IS A TEMPLE ?

WHAT IS A TEMPLE?  

A temple is like a mirror of your inner self. Since we are unable to see within, the masters built this house to show us the positions of all the important organs(Gods) in us. They made us take medicines in the form of prasadam (offerings), and do exercise in the form of prayers, to keep the body healthy, enabling mind, body and spirit to be in harmony.

The temple which to all intents and purposes is a hospital, cleanses the body and mind without our putting too much effort. By just following the proper practices in a temple, one is able to live in good health. 

A temple is probably the most powerful hospital. It recharges you, restores your body balance and discharge impurities. Above all, it does something no modern hospital can do.

To be continued ....