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Conch Shells

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carved conches or Vamavarta shankhas, c. 11–12th century, Pala period, India: The leftmost one is carved with the image of Lakshmi and Vishnu , and has silver additions.
A shankha, 19th century
A Shankha (conch shell) with Vishnu emblem carved
A shankha (Sanskrit: शंख, romanized: Śankha, lit. 'conch') has religious ritual importance in Hinduism.
In Hinduism, the shankha called panchajanya is a sacred emblem of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu.[1] It is still used as a trumpet in Hindu ritual, and in the past was used as a war trumpet.[2] According to Arunava Bose, "The shankha is praised in Hindu scriptures as a giver of fame, longevity and prosperity, the cleanser of sin and the abode of goddess Lakshmi, who is the goddess of prosperity and consort of Vishnu".[3]
The shankha is displayed in Hindu art in association with Vishnu. As a symbol of water, it is associated with female fertility and serpents (nāgas).[4]
The shankha is one of the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism, the Ashtamangala, and represents the pervasive sound of Buddhism.[5]