HEAVIEST BELLS: Japanese musical instruments

THE HEAVIEST FUNCTIONING BELL IN THE WORLD:

NAME OF BELL	YEAR	KG	Ib	FATE
To-dai-ji Temple bell	732	43,545	96,000	Surpassed
Great bell of Dhammazedi	1484	297,103	655,000	Sunk during transport
To-dai-ji Temple bell	1602	43,545	96,000	Surpassed
Chion-in Temple bell	1633	67,132	148,000	Surpassed
Mingun bell	1810	88,451	195,000	Fell during earthquake
Chion-in Temple bell	1839	67,132	148,000	Surpassed
Mingun bell	1896	88,451	195,000	Fell during earthquake
Shitennō-ji Temple Bell	1902	113,852	251,000	Recycled for war
Mingun bell	1942	88,451	195,000	Fell during earthquake
Bell of Good luck	2000	116,000	255,736	Incumbent

source of picture: wikipedia

THE GREAT BELL OF DHAMMAZEDI

At about 297,103 kg, the great bell of dhammazedi is the largest bell to have existed in the noted history. The bell was built in 1484 by the king Dhammazedi of Burma. This bell was situated at the Shewdagon pagoda in Ragoon, Burma. The bell was said to be about 6.276 cm high and 4.184 m wide. This bell remained at the Shwedagon Pagoda as the biggest functioning bell in the whole world until 1602, the year that the Portuguese warlord and mercenary, Philip de Brito removed it and tried to carry the bell by a specially constructed raft down Yangon River to give to his stronghold of Thanlvin. Meanwhile, the ship that was carrying the bell sank at the conference of the Yangon and Bago rivers; the bell has remained buried to this day at that exact location and possibly well-preserved, beyond about 25 feet of sediment. So many attempts have been made to find and recover this heavy bell, but all attempt failed. So, while the Great bell of Dhammazedi might indeed be the heaviest bell in the whole world, it should be disqualified from being considered as the heaviest until it has been recovered and restored to perform it normal function.

THE CHION-IN TEMPLE BELL

          Built in 1633, the 67,132 kg chion-in temple bell is located in Kyoto, Japan, kept the title of being the heaviest bell in the world until 1810. From March 1839 to March 1896, the Mingun bell was not working because of the fact that it was not hanging freely from the shackles. At this period, the chion-in temple bell regained its former position of being the heaviest bell in the world.

MINGUN BELL

          Cast in 1808, the 88,451 kg Mingun bell in Mingun, Sagaing, Burma became the heaviest bell that was functioning in the world from its suspension in 1810 until the 23^rd march 1839when it was knocked down by a serious earthquake. The Mingun bell was suspended in March 1896 by a team of men that was from Irrawaddy Flotilla Company and the bell was later made the world’s largest bell from its re-suspension in 1896 until 1902. The Mingun bell became the heaviest bell again in the world in the year 1942.

SHITENNŌ-JI TEMPLE BELL

          In the year 1902, the newly built bell of 113,852 Shitennō-ji Temple Bell was hung in Osaka, Japan. The Shitennō-ji Temple Bell became the heaviest bell in the world from that year to 1942 when the bell was melted down for its metal to help with the then ongoing World War II struggle.

THE BELL OF GOOD LUCK

This bell was cast on the year 2000’s New Year’s Eve. The bell is situated in the Foquan Temple in Pingdingshan, china. The bell of good luck has the weight of 116,000 kg with the height being 810.8 cm and 511.8 cm as the diameter. This bell has absolutely claimed the title of being the heaviest bell in the world since it was constructed in the year 2000 till today.