The Gardens, including the Butterfly House and Animal Walk, are closed due to high winds. The Museum is open as normal.
Metalware (bronze) bell with long handle surmounted by Nandi, the bull of Shiva.
The bell is rung by the temple priest in all Keralan Hindu rituals and festivals. The function is to call the god or goddess, to send away the evil spirits, and to awaken the deity in the early morning. The priest holds the bell in the right hand, shaking it slowly.
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk
