Why do ISKCON Temples have Ganesh at entrance and not have bell?
From: Puri Ashishkumar
Please explain why do we have Lord Ganesha at the entrance of Iskcon temples and why dont we have a bell unlike other temples. Also Devata=Demigods do we call Bhagavan=God in english or is there any better attribute since Lord is used for demigods also.
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I was dying to know this answer (bell). Thank you Prabhuji!
Srila Prabhupada never allowed demigod worship in any of his temples around the world, no matter what was the local tradition of a particular Geographical region. It may not be against the Sastric injunctions to worship demigods, but when you are in a mission to clearly drive the point that Lord Vishnu is the Supreme, your purpose will be diluted if you install the deities of demigods since the society is already in utter confusion as to who is the Supreme Lord. It is not that we can follow anything just because it is not against the Sastras. That way polygamy is also allowed in the Sastras, but Srila Prabhupada has never allowed it in ISKCON. We have to see the examples set by the Acharya and accept. More than that, it is wrong not worship the installed deity, like offering arati etc., it is an insult to the personality. You should at least feed him with Krishna Prasad and give due respect for him.
Please don't pass judgment about anything without understanding the situation properly
All the points that you have raised are answered here:
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2012/09/why-ganesh-worship-is-being-done-in-an-iskcon-temple-when-it-was-not-allowed-by-srila-prabhupada/
I heard that the bell is to seek permission of the Deity before entering the temple? Is that another reason for bells outside temples?
Yes, that's another way of stating the point in the answer: the sound of the bell reminds us off the identity of the person whom we are visiting