Om Diya & Peacock Bell — Set of 2

Two pieces for the mandir shelf: a diya cast in the shape of ॐ, and a bell with two peacocks facing each other across the handle. Both German Silver, both chased by hand, both in one red velvet box.

The diya is the Om, not a diya with an Om on it

This is the part worth looking at closely. The lamp well sits inside the curve of the ॐ — the loop of the letter is the body of the lamp, the tail sweeps out to the right, and the chandrabindu rides above it with the crescent underneath. Nothing is stuck on.

A turned pin stands in the centre of the well to hold the batti upright, and the well itself is left smooth and unengraved so the oil pools cleanly and wipes out afterwards. Swastikas sit in the crescent and repeat around the rim, in the traditional auspicious form.

4 inch wide, 4.5 inch tall. It has real presence for its size because it is wide rather than tall — it reads as a shape from across a room.

The bell

Six inches, with a pair of peacocks worked into the handle, tails fanned and beaks turned toward each other. Below them a dark ridged bead in the rudraksha form sits where your fingers close, and the body is chased with open flowers over a plain flared skirt.

The clapper hangs on a chain, not a rigid pin — you can see it in the photographs. A chain lets the ball swing freely and strike once, cleanly, which is the difference between a note that rings out and a rattle.

Size

• Om diya — 4 inch wide, 4.5 inch tall
• Bell — 6 inch tall
• Two separate pieces.

Lighting the diya

• Til oil or ghee with a cotton batti wound onto the pin. Fill the well about two-thirds — filled to the brim it will creep over the edge as the metal warms.
• The metal gets hot and there is no handle. Let it cool before you move it, and never lift it by the bowl while it is lit.
• Keep it clear of cloth and curtains, and do not leave it burning unattended.

Material and care

German Silver is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc. There is no silver in it — the name describes the colour, not the content. There is no gold polish anywhere on this set; both pieces are the bare alloy throughout.

• Wipe the oil off the same day. Old oil turns sticky, then dark, and is far harder to shift a week later.
• Warm water and mild soap for the well. A dry cloth on the chased surfaces.
• No metal polish on the engraving. The cutting on the crescent, the rim and the bell is shallow — polish flattens it, and the darkness sitting in the cuts is exactly what makes the pattern read.
• Do not submerge the bell. Water gets inside and stays there.
• Both pieces will darken over a few months. That is tarnish, not damage — the care guide has the method.

Why this pairing

A lamp and a bell are the two things every daily pooja actually needs, and they are the two things people most often own in mismatched form — a good diya next to a bell bought from wherever. This set solves that in one box, which is why it works as a griha pravesh gift, a Diwali gift, or the gift for someone setting up a mandir for the first time.

In the box

• One Om diya, German Silver, 4 x 4.5 inch
• One peacock bell, German Silver, 6 inch
• Red velvet gift box with a brass clasp, fitted for both

Price includes GST. Prepaid only — we do not offer cash on delivery. Dispatched within 48 hours, shipped anywhere in India. Free shipping above Rs 1,999.