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Ringing in Christmas: Jingling for over 150 yrs, Church bells in Lko boast rich history
Like the gong in Tibetan monasteries and the bell hung at the dome of Hindu temples, bells in Churches also serve myriad purposes.
LUCKNOW For bells are the voice of the church, famously wrote American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in the 19th century. Bringing his words to life, Lucknow’s iconic Christ Church has been preserving its “voice” for over 160 years now.
The bell at the Christ Church was hung in 1860 as a memorial to those who died in the 1857 sepoy mutiny. Since then, the Church has maintained this historic bell with utmost care. “Back then, the Britishers spent 540 pounds (GBP) on the Church -- called the Church of England then. Additional money was spent on the bell. It’s perhaps the oldest bell in the city. Its exact weight is unknown but the bell is very heavy. Bell-ringing enthusiasts called campanologists also visit the Church,” said archbishop John Augustine of Christ Church.
Like the gong in Tibetan monasteries and the bell hung at the dome of Hindu temples, bells in Churches also serve myriad purposes. “Bells are used for prayers, weddings, funerals, and other ceremonies. In many Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican churches, the bell is rung three times a day for religious purposes. Traditionally, they are used to call worshippers to the church for service. Centuries ago, bells were rung to announce the arrival of kings, bishops, and the Pope. Today, the use of bells has been limited to special ceremonies only. Sometimes, bells are rung to drive out demonic forces as well,” added archbishop John Augustine.
Adding to Augustine, Father Donald Dsouza, parish priest of Cathedral Church, said, “The sound of our church bell is far-reaching. The bell is fixed in a position so it can swing to and fro. Our church bell undergoes maintenance yearly.”
Going into the history of church bells, Father Donald added, “Before modern communications arrived, the church bells were a common way of communicating with the followers. The bell in Mawaiyya Church and Hussainganj Church are also very old and their sounds can be heard far and wide. Some churches even have more than one bell because they believe the more bells a church has, the louder would be their sound, warding off more evil forces.”
