NEW YORK—The “Bell of Hope” sounded from St. Paul’s Chapel in lower Manhattan on Wednesday in remembrance of the victims of the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India.
Indian Deputy Consul General Dr. A.M. Gondane was joined by members of the clergy in the churchyard for a prayer for peace.
The still empty lots where the Twin Towers once stood behind the church were a reminder of the terrorist attack once felt in the city.
Gondane sounded the bell in the tradition of New York City Firefighters’ “four fives” salute to fallen comrades, ringing it 20 times in four sets of five rings.
“The bell sends a message that there is a tragedy that has happened. Hopefully such a tragedy, if it can be avoided, should be avoided,” said Gondane. “The thinking [is that] people should send a message that terrorism is no way for bringing your grievances forward.”
The Lord Mayor of London, England, gave the Bell of Hope as a gift to New York City just one year after the terrorist attacks on 9-11-01.
The bell was created in the same foundry in East London where the original Liberty Bell was cast, and is now rung once a year on the anniversary of 9-11. It was also rung following the bombings in London and Madrid, as well as for the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings.
