CONCH (SHANKH)

CONCH (SHANKH)

Every Hindu is familiar with Conch. For the ancient period the Conch is a very important item in worship, in religious and spiritual methods. It is a favourite item of goddess Laxmi (the goddessof wealth) and Vishnu. Its sound awakes the waves of spirituality and holiness. It is found in two forms1. Left- handed Conch2. Right- handed Conch1 Left- handed ConchIt is found mostly and its open parts remains towards the left hand. The left hand Conch is usedin making sound. The best of these are of Dwarika.In all methods of Hindu worships and auspicious occasion the sound of Conch is of well beginning and holy.

It’s sound pleasure the gods and upto where the sound goes the devil powers flew away. Its sound destroys the micro-bacte-riagives power to heart.2 Right Handed ConchThis is the Conch which has the open part towards right-hand. This found rarely and is usedas worship material. The Right-handed Conch is also called Vishnu-Conch, Yamnua Conch and Laxmi Conch.According to the mythological books the Conch came out at the time of churning of ocean and lord Vishnu bore it in his right hand and so has a close relationship with Laxmi also.For worship all the Right-handed Conchs are same effective small or big in size. The water filled in this Conch is considered as sacred as the water of scared rivers and so it is used to bath the gods and specially in the worship of god Sun.

As the Right-handed Conch is very favourite of goddess Laxmi, si it gives prosperity and wealth to its worshiper.The Worshiping Method of Right-handed Conch-shellTake the Right-handed Conch shell and on Monday. Prepare yourself with bath and washed clothes. Then bath the Conch with unboiled milk and Ganga water and put it on a chair of silver or gold laying red cloth and worship it as a idol of deity or god with sandal, saffron, camphor, flowers, scented sticks and earthen lamp. After this worship this daily. Put it always this way thatthe open part of this should be towards sky, the mouth towards you and the tail towards otherside.

The Conch are found in many other forms and sizes besides Left-handed and Right-handed Conches. Besides the Conches used in worship purposes are used as showpieces.Ganesha ShankhaGanesha shankha is another precious and largelyworshiped shankha. This shankha represents Lord Ganesha and is worshipped to remove obstacles, for learning, for success, for luck and prosperity to family. This shankha is considered a very auspicious item for protection from evil effects and is to get good luck and prosperity to family.Ganesha shankha is best when kept in the Pooja Ghar (place of worship) daily or on all auspiciousoccasions and during religious festivals. It can also be kept in the locker of the house so that the family never faces any dearth of money. However it should be kept on red cloth in the worship room or wrapped in red cloth if kept in a locker.Ganesha shankha is a very rare item and hence considered very lucky.

Every house should have Ganesha Shankha to protect it from evil effects, to get wealth and prosperity. It is said that Ganesha Shankha increases the strength of character, mind, enhances confidence and helps in achieving happiness, fame and good health. If Ganesha Shankha is used in daily worship, there can be no doubt that the worshipper of this conch shell is blessed with healthy and long life of nobility, wisdom, scholarship, entrepreneurship, foresight and resourcefulness. From Feng Shui's point of view, this conch attracts business luck from overseas and augments the chances of travelling abroad.Gaumukhi ShankhaGaumukhi means face of cow.This Shankha resembles face of Cow.Cow is considered very sacred in Hinduism and so is this shankha.Keepingthis shankha in temple/pooja place gives all the benefits (punya) of keeping a cow. It helps in bringing peace, harmony and happiness.A must to have Shankha for every Altar.Kauri ShankhaKauri Shankha is a very rare shankha which when kept in your house can bring all luck and prosperity.It is said since ancient times that the possession of Kauris is considered to bring wealth and all round prosperity. That is the reason why it was a part of the marriage attire of the brides. Kauri is a rare sacred product found inthe ocean. As per Hindu mythology, "Kauri" was obtained from "Samudra Manthan" along with"Lakshmi" and other rare divine and holy products. From a very ancient time "Kauri" was used as the currency and then was used in the ornaments and also used as the key of gambling. As per Hindu Shastras, "Kauri" is said to be the loving product of "Maha Lakshmi".It is also related to Lord Shiva because the hairs of Lord Shiva are similar to "Kauri". Indians also use "Kauri" to decorate Nandi, the devotee of LordShiva. It is also said to be a great tool to save the children from devil effects. Kauri Shankha is more powerful than kauris because it is a shankha plus a Kauri. This shankha is usually kept in the cash box for financial prosperity and to protect the owner from a financial debacles. Whoever keeps a "Kauri Shankha" during the prayer of "Goddess Lakshmi", gets blessings and gains success, prosperity, wealth and fame in lifeMoti ShankhThese shankhas shine like a pearl, very rare and difficult to find. These shankhas have the luster ofa pearl and is generally round in shape.

This is a precious variety of shankha and available in all big and small sizes. Keeping this shankha in house is considered to be very auspicious and it gives peace of mind.This kind of shankha is very rare in the sense that studies have shown that 1 in 15,000 conchs or shankhas will produce a pearl shankha but only 1/10th of those will be a good pearl conch.

Whether a man blows any conch either small or big, it makes no difference. The influence of the conch or shankha never lessens.Everyone is aware of the fact that the right handedconch gives wealth and prosperity. It is to be noted that the shankha serves its worshipper for progressing financially but it does not fulfill any human passion.