Before Clocks and Phones, Panna’s Prannath Temple Bell Told the Time
The bell of the Shri Prannath temple in Panna, linked to a tradition said to be about 350 years old, once told the city and surrounding villages the time. A bell brought from London in 1864 later cracked and was replaced by an Indian-made one.
In Panna, the large bell of the Shri Prannath temple was once the main way for the city and nearby villages to tell the time. A report published on October 21 describes a bell-ringing tradition at the temple that it says is about 350 years old.
The temple is a major centre of the Pranami sect and attracts followers from India and abroad. Thousands visit during the Sharad Purnima festival. Before clocks and mobile phones became common, the sound of the bell, carried at night across the surrounding villages, helped people plan their day. This practice continued until about four decades ago.
According to Pranami literary figure Ashwani Dubey, the bell also marked the change of each pahar, the eight three-hour divisions of the day and night in Hindu tradition. It was rung twice at every change.
Rakesh Kumar Sharma, a former secretary of the temple trust, said that in 1864 several large ashtadhatu, or eight-metal, bells were brought to India from London, and that one of them was installed at this temple. That bell later cracked, which altered its sound. Efforts to repair it did not bring back the original tone, so the trust installed a new large bell made in India, and the tradition of ringing continues.
A smaller bell that devotees ring on entering the temple is believed to help worshippers concentrate and calm their thoughts.
The report calls the tradition 350 years old but dates the London-made bell to 1864, so the two timelines refer to different things. The story is a reminder of how temple bells once worked as public clocks in towns across India, and it adds to the heritage appeal of Panna beyond its tigers and diamonds.
