The Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh is one of the famous temples serving Lord Krishna.
Every year lakhs of people visit this holy temple to seek the blessing of Lord Krishna and worship him. One tradition of the temple is that there are no bells rung during the aarti.
This unusual practice has been a mystery to devotees and visitors for generations.
Unlike most temples where bells, conches and cymbals are present in worship, the Banke Bihari Temple reveres silence during worship. That is because there is an abiding reverence and a very strong belief.
In temple culture, Lord Krishna is worshipped not only as a deity, but also as a living child. Devotees believe that Banke Bihari Ji is resting peacefully in the temple and must not be disturbed by loud sounds.
Ringing bells or too much noise during aarti will disturb His divine rest. So priests conduct the aarti with the highest attention to the temple.
The temple is based on the traditions of the saint Swami Haridas, the devotee and spiritual guru who discovered the divine idol of Banke Bihari in the sacred grove of Nidhivan.
Swami Haridas emphasized loving devotion (Bhakti) over elaborate rituals so many of the temple’s rituals are based on his teachings.
Another fascinating tradition at the temple is that the devotees are allowed to have darshan. The curtain before the idol is opened and closed every few moments.
It is believed that the captivating beauty of Banke Bihari Ji is so enchanting that devotees could become completely absorbed in His divine form and forget the material world.
Legend also says the Lord Himself might accompany a devotee out of the temple if He gets too attached to them. The curtain is always closed so that no divine attachment can be made.
Unlike many Krishna temples, the Banke Bihari Temple also does not observe Mangala Aarti daily.
Devotees think that the Lord enjoys resting in the morning after spending the night performing the divine Raas Leela with Radha and the Gopis.
Mangala Aarti is only performed once a year on the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami.
Without bells in aarti, the lack of bells in the morning when the temple has no bells it is peaceful, and all the more so in aarti and the presence of the deity in the temple is the person that the devotees can enjoy a beautiful and intimate contact with the god.
Melodious bhajans, loving chanting, deep chanting and the rhythmic call to the God’s holy names come alive and the temple is filled with an air of serenity, instead of loud sounds is the temple’s soothing sound that gives a very good feel of peace, not loud sounds.
The Banke Bihari Temple is still one of India’s most unusual places of worship. Its centuries-old traditions still motivate the faithful that true devotion is not in grandeur but rather in love, respect and heartfelt surrender to the Divine.
Whether it is faith or curiosity, the temple’s silent aarti is an absolute reminder to us that silence is not always the purest form of worship.
