You are right – and I did not look carefully enough.
Buddhism is said to be the fastest-growing religion in Australia and in a number of other countries http://wisdomquarterly.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/buddhism-fastest-growing-religion-in.html I am pleased about this. With the exception of the Sri Lankan war against the Tamils, it seems to contribute to the world’s peace and harmony. One cannot say this of all faiths.

Yes, it is also amazing that Tibetan bells are attributed with founding the New Age music movement in the West! [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Bells_(album)%5D

So perhaps you will be more uptodate on the intracacies of bell ringing after your stay in Ladakh than most!

I don’t know much about bell-ringing but I think it is generally done by hand in England and by machines in the rest of Europe. To me, hand-ringing is much more acceptable.

The topic raises a broader issue. This article about church bells in Scotland suggests that objections to the broadcasting of church bells are related to religious prejudice rather than other criteria. [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7658798.stm ] There should be some way of distinguishing between the two very different motives in such instances.

Are you aware whether the guidelines on bell ringing in the UK have been effective? [ http://www.cccbr.org.uk/pubs/guidelines/gdlnComplaints.php ] It seems there are also questions of compliance with EU law when bells are rung outside daylight hours. [ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1410405/Church-bells-are-silenced-in-fear-of-EU-law.html ]

I love Gregorian chant, but might go off it should it be played at high volume at 3 am outside my window!

“…that man is a pontifical creature who serves as a bridge between the terrestrial and the celestial worlds. Neither angel nor animal in the absolute sense, man is more than what scientific knowledge knows about him. His intellect, his psyche and his spirit have endowed him with attributes and capacities that go beyond the wildest dreams of the scientific community.”

Apparently the Muezzin is something of an art form. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muezzin ] So perhaps it is like listening to Georgian chant at a similar time!

Gregorian chant is sung in the Office during the canonical hours and in the liturgy of the Mass.

“The heart of the Office is in the singing/saying of Psalms and the Lord’s Prayer. The Psalms attest to the Jewish cycle of prayer, three times a day; or seven times, and at midnight. The New Testament speaks of the Apostles going to Temple for prayer at the third hour, the sixth hour, and the ninth hour.”

The Benedictines had nocturn vigils which included prayers at 2am…[ http://deevans.net/xtian/office.html ]

So nocturnal prayers are known in all three Abrahamic traditions. Perhaps it was a little monastic preparation for your journey to Ladakh?

Perhaps if the world’s religious communities all contributed funds to the rebuilding of the mosque some good would come from the event in Kashmir? [ http://dailypioneer.com/nation/77359-dastgeer-sahib-shrine-to-be-restored-in-30-months-omar.html ]

A shrine burned down in Kashmir the day before I arrived and much of the city was closed off. It is a good place to know about the Muslim view of creation. My hotel had a very-loud speaker outside the window which did a 1 hour muezzin from approx 3.30 to 4.30 am. Good conditions for thinking about the problem!

In the Koran apparently:
Man was created in Paradise (‘janna’),1 not on Earth (first couple later banished to Earth, e.g. Koran 2:36). Carnivory (and thus death and suffering) apparently integral to life on the created Earth from the first. The Koran (6:142, 16:5, 40:79) says that cattle were created for man to eat. The Koran speaks of Adam’s (and his wife’s) nakedness becoming apparent to them after they sinned (20:121; also implied by 7:22), yet also implies that they were wearing some kind of raiment prior to the Fall (Koran 7:273).

Perhaps someone who is familiar with the Koran could comment?

Indian muslims, if not the Koran, say that paradise is a garden and Kashmir is both a garden and a paradise. Well, this is where I am writing this post from. The scenery is definitely paradisaical but every driver’s habit of blowing their horn every 20m on the Boulevard somewhat diminishes the sensation. Also, if you look at the view there is a real risk of putting a foot in mud-filled rut or worse.