statues of Garuda, Nandikesvara etc atop Ghanta or bell

Someone raised the query

@Ananthanarayanan Vaidyanathan Sir

कृपया यह बताइए कि पूजा की घंटी पर गरूड़ क्यू बने होते हैं ? इसको गरूड़ घंटी क्यू कहते हैं ?

Please tell me this.. why is Garuda placed atop the bell or Ghantee used for Pooja. Why is it called Garuda Ghandee.

My answer..

It is not a fact that in every Khanda, the insignia of Garuda is placed or statue of Gaurda is placed. This will apply to only Vaishnavite temples, Vaishnavite devotees.. Garuda is the main liuetenant of Lord Vishnu.. and His presence signifies the ceremonial presence of Lord Vishnu with all his insignia. Actually, some agamas even state that the deity whose pooja is being done, is invoked even in the bell or Ghanta. In most temples, where weighty Lords Like Vishnu, Lakshmi or Krishna and Devis are there, in the mobile parts of the deities like the bell, flagstaff, and even sometimes in the statues taken for rounds or washing the in holy river, only the insignia of Garuda, Chakra or Sudharsana etc are used . They represent the Lord Himself through proxy or delegation. Even though Garuda is seen in the Ghanta, actually you have to give the respect of Lord Himself to the Ghanta.

In fact when food stuff is offered to God as Naivedyam, a part of it is to be offered to the Ghanta too.. or at least the Nirmalyam or the remnants of the Naivedyam are to be presented.

In some Rama temples and even in some Vishnu Temples the Ghanta carried the statue of Lord Anjayneya too.

In Shiva and related temples and the Ghanta carried the insignia of Nandikeshvara or Bull as the case may be. In fact in Shiva pooja the remnants are offered to Banasura, Ravana, Chandeesha, Nandi and Bhringiradi. In Vishnu temples, the side or subordinate deities would be Vishvaksena, Sudharashan, Conch, Garuda etc.. With Devi it is Lion, with Ganesha it is rat or Mooshaka and with Skanda it is the peacock.. For Lakshmi the carrier is actually owl, but that insignia is rarely seen

The Garuda insignia follows the Vaikhanasa and Pancharatra Agamas.. and the Bull Insiginia relates to Shiva agama.

One important point to be noted is that the Ghanta is actually equated to the deity you worship, and its presence is fully there in the Ghanta too. Therefore you can chime the Ghanta only at the prescribed occasions like declaring the Sanctum open, sometimes during the ceremonial bath, during offering incense, during naivedyam or offering food etc. Some people think that the more you use the Ghanta the mole punyam you get. It is not so.. You cannot afford to shake and disturb the Lord at your whims and fancies..

आगमार्थं तो देवानां गमनार्थं तु रक्षसां देवानां पूजनार्थाय घण्डा नादं करोम्यहं.. We start the pooja by ringing the bell declaring that this bell is chimed as a welcome to the Deities, as a warning for the immediate flight of the demons and for the effective worship of the Lord.