Sacred Spaces

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Cheodri: bells in temples and monasteries as sacred

Drums, bell, trumpets and conch shells are few major instruments used in Buddhist rituals and ceremonies. Of these, bells (choedri) as they are referred to in Bhutanese are also liturgical ritual objects associated with music. Bells derive inspiration from Buddhist doctrinal lore and Tantric mythology and have been in use since the inception of Buddhism in Bhutan in the early 8th century. It is because of its symbolic representation, that large massive bells are found hung on the entrance to every Dzong (fortress), temple or a monastery.

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