The Prayer Bell

Relationship: Im/migrant
Group:
The Prayer Bell
The Prayer Bell

This Prayer Bell first belonged to my great grandfather, Rengarajan. When he died, he passed the bell on to my grandfather. In India, at the local temple, the praying people rang the bell to start the prayer. Whenever we think about India, everybody thinks of the statues, and the temples, but not the little things, like this bell. Since my family and I are Indians, we use the bell to start prayers in our own house. We usually use the bell on holidays, or special events or festivals. When I asked my father about the bell, he said, “It is an important religious item my father gave us when we moved here.” He also stated that it was 79 years old. Also, the bell is made from copper, while the handle is iron. For me the bell holds a lot of tradition and connection to India. Not just because it is so old, but because the idea that my now dead great grandfather held the same item in his hands was very cool. Now whenever I hold the bell, I think about my ancestors holding the same bell in their hands long ago.    
  

Place(s): India
Year: 2007

– Abinesh

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant