Types of Singing Bowls, whats the difference?
There are numerous styles of bowls, hundreds but today it is less common to see such diversity due to the commercialisation of singing bowls in the east.
Historically there were approximately eight tradtional, "old style" singing bowls: Thadobati, Jambati, Ultabati, Naga, Mani, Manipuri, Remuna, and Lingam bowls. Each type has unique features when it comes to sound, size, weight, dimension, as they were used for different rituals, ceremonies, spiritual practice and healing or medicine.
Lets have a look at some of these.
Lingam or Lingam refers to male principle sometimes embodied as the Hindu god Shiva. A lingam is a protrusion of metal in the center of a singing bowl. This depression under the bowl, symbolises the navel part of the man’s body. God Siva is typically represented as emerging from the tip of the Lingam.
In the ways of ancient Vedic scriptures, there’s no balance of creation without the linga or Lingam. It’s the generator of power and destructor. Interestingly, these scriptures about the powers of the Lingam go all the way back to the 1st Century BCE.
Mani bowls are some of the most unusual of all the singing bowls. They have a unique pear shape, extremely thick and heavy construction and a dramatically thick rim. They produce extremely high pitches as a result of the thickness and an unusual watery sound as a result of the inwardly curved shape. Historically, my teacher Mangal Maharajan explains that these bowls where, and are still, used by Newari shamans in ritual. They would tap the bottom of the bowl and strike the inside and outside of the bowl at a consistant high pace that would create a repetitive beat. This beat would become mesmerising and people would fall into a hypnotic state. There are very few older Mani bowls in existence, simply because their base would eventually crack from repetitive beating. i am lucky enough to have one in my tool kit but i use it with caution.
