Bells of the Lower Towns

Among the villages of Zoboralja, Alsóbodok has the most bells, nine in total. The oldest bell hung in the church tower, dating from 1675, but unfortunately it has not survived. Currently, three bells hang in the wooden tower of the Árpád-era church, the middle one is the oldest, cast by Bishop Ferenc Fuchs of Nitra in 1800. Its Latin inscription: BODOKIENSIBVS SVBUITIS EPISCOPALIBVS DONAVIT F.X.F.E.N.P 1800 (Translation: Donated to the subjects of the Bodoki bishop by Bishop Xaver Ferenc Fuchs of Nitra in 1800). It was dedicated to the Crucified Christ, and its relief also quotes this. ; The large bell and the smallest bell were placed here in 1924, cast by the Fischer brothers in Nagyszombat during the First World War to replace the bells taken away for military purposes. The former proclaims the patron saint of the church, Saint John the Baptist, and the latter is the soul bell, which was unusually dedicated not to Saint Joseph, but to Saint Anthony. ; There is also a smaller bell in the schoolyard, which was restored in 1987 to a simple wooden bell base. It was made by Ferenc Walser in Pest, sometime in the late 19th century. ; The base of the fifth bell stood on the border of the village in the bishop's manor of Ágostonhalma in Nitra, but after the farmyard was closed, it was kept in a private house. The Alsóbodo Village Protection Association is currently considering placing it in a new cemetery. According to its inscription, it was also made in Nagyszombat in the Fischer bell foundry. ; Another bell enriches the collection of the Zoboralja Museum in Alsóbodo. It came here from another village, and may be over a hundred years old. Its maker is unknown, but it was probably also made in Walser's workshop. ; The last three bells were cast by Paulisz Boldizsár in 2018 for the Esterházy János Pilgrimage Center in Őrbottyán, Hungary. The largest bell is the same size as the bell cast by János Esterházy for his home village of Nyitrújlak. It also has a similar tuning (E), which is also the initial of the politician's name. This large bell, the financial costs of which were covered by the Paulisz family, was blessed by Pope Francis in the Vatican. It first rang at the funeral of Paulisz Boldizsár. In September of the same year, together with two other smaller bells, which were donated by other Bodok donors (László Gyepes – Pataki and his family, etc.), it was hung on a tall, wooden domed bell tower. The blessing was performed during a ceremony led by the main celebrant, Bishop László Kiss-Rigó of Szeged-Csanád, and the episcopal vicar of Nyitra, Zoltán Ďurčo. ; The purchase of the tenth bell of the village has also been planned, and preparations are underway. Bell lover Paulisz Boldizsár and amateur bellologist Sándor Fehér played a significant role in strengthening the bell culture of Bodok.