Singing bowls are bowl shaped bells used in the practice of Buddhism. The use of such bells dates back as far as 3000 years and originated in Himalayan regions of South Asia. The bowls are often used in Buddhist monasteries during meditation periods or prayer sessions. They are also used by shamans because they are thought to have healing properties.
Their fascinating harmonics also leads to their extensive use in traditional and modern Nepali music. Modern machine made bowls often have traditional designs etched into them and can look very good, but the best acoustic bowls are the plainer hand made ones. Machine made bowls are also not believed to have the healing properties that traditionally made singing bowls have. Traditional handmade singing bowls are shaped into a bowl using heat and a hammer. The skill of the artisan is to create the best possible sound for the bowl.