While many people in Malaysia are just getting into singing and healing bowls since the COVID-19 pandemic, here is some information about the types of singing bowls available in the market. This article is purely for information sharing as there is not much out there.
Singing bowls have been around for hundreds of years, and it was only in the 70s new age movement that they got recognised by many Western new age practitioners. It probably only caught on in the last ten years or even less in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
Types of Singing Bowls
Each bowl type differs in shape, size, style, tone, and quality and has unique characteristics. Most of what you see in social media or YouTube videos are the common 5-metal types, readily available from many new-age shops and online sellers.
However, if you are genuinely into the whole sound healing or want authentic singing bowls, there are the 7-metal fully hand-made bowls or even the full moon singing bowls that are usually priced much higher. Some authentic Himalayan singing bowls from Nepal, Tibet, and India are more than 500 years old, and Buddhist monks have used these bowls in meditation since ancient times.
Normally, singing bowls vibrate and produce a rich, deep tone when played, and for the higher quality bowls, the vibration and sound have incredible spiritual and healing properties. These are the types of bowls that serious users are looking for. Not the regular under RM200 kinds of bowls.
The standard singing bowls get rubbed with a mallet around the rim to produce a haunting or ringing sound. Practitioners believe these singing bowls cure various illnesses, help maintain mental stability or clear away negative energies. It would be best if you read more about this by searching online.
Most singing bowls are made with a mixture of alloy metals, including copper, lead, silver, tin, iron, or gold, which are the common elements used. Pure crystal singing bowls are also getting popular these days, but one must be careful when purchasing a crystal bowl as lower quality ones are thinner and may crack or break when played.
Buying A Singing Bowl – Remember, you must purchase a singing bowl in person and not online. Why? Because you need to test the singing bowl to see if it connects with you. Especially the vibration and the sound it makes.
Also, the energy the singing bowl carries is very important to someone who plans to use it for healing. You never know the energy of the person selling online or how long the bowl has been left in a dark room or space with bad energy. Even if the seller has just one intention to make money, that alone is not good energy transmitted to the bowls. So, buying a singing bowl in person is the best way.
Below are the types of Singing Bowls in the market.
Please note that we do not sell all of the bowls below, as we are just sharing information on the types of singing bowls available in the market. We only sell the Full Moon singing bowls that are made in Nepal.
1. Thadobati Singing Bowl
Thadobati singing bowls have high walls, flat bottoms, and straight sides. The lips are plain and undecorated and respond well when played with a mallet. The Thadobati bowls are ancient bowls that date back to at least the 15th century. These are the most popular and unique singing bowl types in the market.
Besides that, the Thadobati bowls have different decorative markings as well. The most common Thadobati bowls have a bottom diameter slightly smaller than the opening diameter. They are deep up to 5″ and can range up to 9″ diameter sideways. Some Thadobati bowls have punched and etched decorative markings.
Moreover, the tone of the Thadobati can range over four octaves. Thick small Thadobati can go up to the range of the 6th octave, while thinner large bowls can go up to the bottom of the 3rd octave. These small or medium-sized Thadobati bowls cost around US $60 to US $560.
2. Jambati Singing Bowl
Jambati singing bowls have curved walls, flat bottoms, inward-facing lips, and hammer marks, making them quite appealing. They also have classical etching lines on the outside rim and circular markings at the inside bottom. Ancient Jambati singing bowls have no lines as they get worn off from repeated use. They generally play 2nd or 3rd octave, but their range is four different octaves.
Furthermore, Jambati bowls respond well when played by a mallet and are the heaviest of all-singing bowls. These large singing bowls require 3 to 4 artisans to forge. Since they are large and require maximum labour, their cost ranges from around US $640 to US $8,800.
3. Ultabati Singing Bowl
Ultabaati is a large, heavy bowl over 7″, similar to Jambati. They are quite easy to play and can produce the lowest two octaves. Ultabati bowls can produce the OM sound, which is spiritually significant in Buddhist practice. They can also produce fountains.
In Ultabati, the side of the bowl gets curved under the rim. They have prominent hammer marks, and the etching lines resemble Jambati bowls. Ultabati also has low tones similar to Jambati. They have black or darkened outside walls and bright in the interior.
Moreover, the Ultabati bowl is an excellent choice if you plan to buy a single bowl and have a bigger budget. They are expensive and cost around US $700 to US $2,000.
4. Naga or Pedestal Singing Bowl
Naga singing bowls or Naga pedestal bowls have a chalice-like appearance. They are responsive, but the loose pedestal base sometimes distorts the sound produced. The thin walls and round shape are not conducive to sonic depth.
Moreover, Naga bowls have a rounded bottom and an attached base. The sound produced ranges from the third to the sixth octave. These Pedestal bowls are generally thin and small, although some older ones are quite thick. The size of these bowls ranges from 4 to 10 inches.
Antique Naga bowls must have a ceremonial or sacred purpose as they are found in great condition. Many specialists believe the Naga bowls were used as offering bowls due to the pedestal. Inscriptions on some of the older Naga bowls indicate ceremonial use as well. They cost around US $160 to US $640.
5. Mani Singing Bowl
Mani bowls have an inward-facing lip, flat bottom, thick walls and broader in the middle. They are small to medium-sized, also referred to as Mudra singing bowls. You can find some decorative markings, although older Mani balls do not have them due to wear and tear.
Ancient Mani singing bowls date back to the late 16th to 19th centuries. These bowls were generally given as wedding gifts in the olden days. Mani bowls have a very high tone, although large and heavy. The sound of the bowl is generally in the 5th or 6th octave.
Moreover, they are short, stout, and easy to play with a ringing stick. Many specialists believe they might have been used for ceremonial, sacred, or ritual purposes. Mani bowls cost around US $270 to US $675.
6. Lingam Singing Bowl
Lingam bowls are shallow and have a protrusion in the centre, where the peak in the bowl makes a flat bottom with a navel-like shape. Due to this unique structure, it has a unique sound and can be quite challenging to play. Lingam embodies the Hindu god Shiva and is also used in rituals and medicinal purposes.
Ancient lingam bowls have a distinct, rounded style, similar to Jambati, and the Lingham feature can also be incorporated into other bowl styles, including Manipuri. A genuine old lingam must have consistent metal at the bottom to build a strong lingam. These types of singing bowls also have a high value in the market, depending on the age and quality.
A modern Lingam singing bowl will have thinner metal and discolouration, while medium-sized Lingam bowls are rare and authentic and cost around US $400 to US $1,900. You should check properly before getting one, as many fake Lingam bowls are available in the market nowadays.
7. Manipuri Singing Bowl
Manipuri singing bowls are small or medium-sized with shallow insides and splayed rims, which are easy to play and produce primary tones. These are some of the best types of singing bowls for beginners. Manipuri is the original singing bowl introduced to Western travellers in the 1970s.
Manipuri bowls come from the Northeastern state of Manipur in India and are usually smooth bowls with no markings but with hammer marks and fine craftsmanship. These bowls have a wide range of sizes, thicknesses, and primary tones that can produce lower second octaves to the 5th. These singing bowls have an exquisite sound and are quite affordable, ranging from around US $75 to US $425.
8. Remuna Singing Bowl
Remuna singing bowls have smooth, thin walls with appealing decorative artwork and are easy to play with. These stout bowls are similar to Thadobati in shape and timbre, and you can combine them with Thadobati in sets with a similar soundscape.
Remuna bowls have inward-sloping walls along with a flat bottom and intricate artwork. They have deep etching with circles inside and out and occasionally on the bottom and have two textures: a dark and rougher outside and a darker and rougher bottom half.
Remuna singing bowls also have the most beautiful artwork among all the singing bowls, but they get worn away after prolonged use. These different singing bowls cost around US $235 to US $635.
9. Crystal Singing Bowl
Crystal singing bowls are modern and grew in popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Quartz crystal singing bowls are clear, frosted, mineral fusion bowl types. These singing bowl types are mass-produced commercially and can be found from China to the USA. Some crystal bowls can cost tens of thousands of Ringgit due to the coating or crystal mixture.
Moreover, they have a variety of sizes and tones and can play the 3rd, 4th, and 5th octaves. Frosted bowls produce the loudest sounds, whereas clear bowls produce clear but low sounds. They are readily available online and cost anywhere from US $50 to US $500, depending on the size. They are highly popular among sound healers due to the high frequency and easiness of play.
10. Full Moon Singing Bowl
These sought-after bowls are made during the full moon in Nepal, usually in Kathmandu or the outskirts, which some say is much better due to the genuinity of the makers. These bowls are made during the night of the full moon and harvest the moon’s energy while makers chant the mantra while casting the bowls.
These full-moon singing bowls are the most sought-after bowls in Malaysia, as they are often used in sound healing classes and therapies. Full moon bowls can cost anywhere from RM450 to RM5000 or even more, depending on the size. A standard 8-inch full moon singing bowl can cost anywhere from RM1,200 to RM1,500. If it is any cheaper, you need to be careful who the seller is, or are you getting the real deal?
11. 5-Metal Singing Bowl
The most common types of singing bowls are available almost everywhere. These are the bowls with engravings or designs, sometimes in the seven chakra colours. These bowls function for sound and vibration but have little or no energy. They are, after all, machine-made and knocked into shape for the sound.
These are the kind of bowls that beginners use and the type you see sold on online platforms for RM25 or RM50 per bowl. Usually, the cheaper ones are 6cm to 7cm in size and are poor quality; hence, they are readily available from China or online sellers. Caution is required as there are many cases where buyers receive bowls that cannot sing or carry very bad energy.
12. Japanese Singing Bowl
These are not easy to come by, but the best place to source them is obviously from Japan and locally called ‘Rin’ or ‘Orin’, which is used more like a bell than a singing bowl. A few variations are available, like the dark and high singing bowl called Daitokuji Singing Bowl or the silver Kashiwagi Singing Bowl. All Japanese singing bowls are machine-made, and if you plan to buy one, you must also be careful as sellers trick buyers with look-alike bowls made in China, passed off as Japanese singing bowls.
13. Taiwanese Singing Bowl
These are those fully polished and gold-coloured that you usually see in prayer shops. They are not singing bowls but more chanting or prayer bowls or bells. But some people pass them off as singing bowls, which is wrong. These golden bowls usually emit a sound when sung, but they are machine-made.
14. Balinese Singing Bowl
The Bali Singing Bowls are relatively new to the market and are apparently made in Bali, but there is not much information about these types of singing bowls. I only know that they are called the ‘Aum Singing Bowls’. The last I saw them was in January 2024, when I asked the seller in Bali where they were made, and he casually replied, “In Bali”. Well, I suspect they could also be made in Java, but again, this seller had some impressive Bali stainless steel gongs, which he made entirely. These Aum Singing Bowls are also fully machine-made with a standard wooden mallet, and the prices are quite cheap at around IDR 300,000 – 500,000, and only in small sizes.
15. Antique Singing Bowls
This category applies to any old Nepal or Tibetan singing bowls over 50 years old and is authentic and original. Do note that nowadays, with modern technology, people can make a bowl look old and pass it off as antiques, so you should always be careful when buying antique singing bowls. I do not recommend buying them online, especially if they are cheap. So, if you are a collector, you would know this. This is to share knowledge about this type of singing bowl.
Where to Buy Singing Bowls in Malaysia?
Green Daun new age shop sells singing bowls in various sizes, and our range consists of full moon singing bowls that consumers are looking for. We have discontinued selling the lower-range machine-made bowls due to their poor quality.
The full moon bowls come in sizes ranging from 4″ inches to 34″ inches or 10 cm to 85 cm and are all cleansed thoroughly daily at our store. We import our stock from Nepal and encourage serious customers to come and test the bowls before purchasing them. The price range is from RM500 to RM5000, depending on size. We do not entertain customers asking to send photos via WhatsApp.
Our new age shop is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 12.00 PM to 6.00 PM. You can use Waze or Google Maps to search for Green Daun, and it will lead you to our shop in SS2, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Because we occasionally travel to source products, we recommend you Whatsapp us to find out if we are open for the weekend. You can also check our Google Business Page or Facebook Page for updates.
We also sell Shaman Drums and some other healing musical instruments at our shop; therefore, when you visit, you can see the rest of the items available.
Conclusion
If you are genuinely looking for a singing bowl, I recommend you visit a store that sells them to test out the bowl before buying. Again, buying online has more downsides due to many problems, namely the quality of the bowl and the negative energies it can carry.
It’s like buying a sofa; you need to test the product before deciding; hence, we always recommend you touch, see and test the singing bowl before buying. And know that every singing bowl is individual, producing its unique tone and vibration.
