Ghaṇṭa

views updated

Ghaṇṭa. A bell, one of many objects used in Hindu ritual in association with Śiva. The sound of his bell, or of his drum (ḍamaru), encapsulates creation and is his ‘form in sound’ (mantra (-svarūpa)). In the hands of Śiva's spouse, Ghaṇṭī (who is Durgā), the bell is one of her twelve weapons to drive away threats and terrify enemies.