In November of 2011 I travelled to Nepal and Tibet as part of a university field trip. The subject was ‘Ritual
and Symbolism’, and I created these renderings for the assessment. The challenge was to produce a set of
thirteen renderings which captured, interpreted and communicated an aspect of the Buddhist and Hindu
temples and monasteries we visited.

My interest was quickly and securely grabbed by the huge, elegant bells holding pride of place in these holy
sites, and the dragons guarding them. The dragons are called Naga and are water spirits. They guard sources of water - rivers, lakes, wells, and also control the rains. They are generally good spirits, but can withhold rains if the spirits and the environment are mistreated. Here they are mounted on top of the bells guarding this metaphorical source of water.

The bells are big heavy things, inscribed inside and out with prayers and plaques in beautiful flowing
script. Many of them were as tall as me, with thick bronze walls. When struck, they peal out with long
ringing tones. The vibrations are like ripples in a pond. While loud, the peals carry a peacefulness which
explains their use in meditation rites.

Water is one of the basic elements of life, so the bells and their Naga guardians play a very significant role
in Buddhist and Hindu rituals. The set of five bells in the upper left have clangers in the shape of Bodhi
leaves which are significant Buddhist symbols of earth, another basic element of life.

The central image is a cutaway of a bell, which ties all the separate images into a cohesive whole. Having
done so much study of other religions, I decided to include a statement of my own beliefs. On the inside of
the central bell I wrote an inscription that our Tibetan guide translate for me. It says “God is great”.