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[[File:Carved Conch.jpg|thumb|Carved conches or Vamavarta shankhas, {{c.|11–12th century}}, [[Pala Empire|Pala period]], India: The leftmost one is carved with the image of [[Lakshmi]] and [[Vishnu]], and has silver additions.]]{{short description|End-blown conch trumpet of Indian origin}}
[[File:Śankh MET DP353270.jpg|thumb|A shankha, 19th century]]
[[File:Shankha with rosette.jpg|thumb|A Shankha (conch shell) with Vishnu emblem carved]]
A '''[[Turbinella pyrum|shankha]]''' ({{Langx|sa|शंख|lit=conch|translit=Śankha}}) has religious ritual importance in [[Hinduism]].

In [[Hinduism]], the shankha called [[panchajanya]] is a sacred emblem of the Hindu preserver deity [[Vishnu]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chatterjee |first=Gautam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NQ0XQHEkuIcC&dq=shankha+hinduism&pg=PA77 |title=Sacred Hindu Symbols |date=2001 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=978-81-7017-397-7 |pages=77 |language=en}}</ref> It is still used as a [[trumpet]] in Hindu ritual, and in the past was used as a war trumpet.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lochtefeld |first=James G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GnmPzgEACAAJ |title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z |date=2002 |publisher=Rosen |isbn=978-0-8239-3180-4 |pages=624–625 |language=en}}</ref> 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]]".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bose |first=Arunava |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6XM_EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA54 |title=Shrouded in symbols |date=2021-08-26 |publisher=Ukiyoto Publishing |isbn=978-93-5490-116-4 |pages=54 |language=en}}</ref>

The shankha is displayed in [[Hindu art]] in association with Vishnu. As a symbol of water, it is associated with female fertility and serpents ([[nāga]]s).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sturman |first=Janet |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DUSKDwAAQBAJ&dq=shankha+hinduism&pg=PT3731 |title=The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Music and Culture |date=2019-02-26 |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=978-1-5063-5338-8 |pages=3731 |language=en}}</ref>

The shankha is one of the eight auspicious symbols of [[Buddhism]], the [[Ashtamangala]], and represents the pervasive sound of Buddhism.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McElroy |first1=D. R. |title=Signs & symbols of the world : over 1,001 visual signs explained |date=2020 |publisher=Quarto Publishing Group |location=New York, NY |isbn=9781577151869 |page=183}}</ref>

==Characteristics==
[[File:Shankha selling in Kolkata.jpg|thumb|Shankha selling in Kolkata, West Bengal, India]]
This [[gastropod shell|shell]] is from a [[sea snail]] species ''[[Turbinella pyrum]]'' in the family [[Turbinellidae]]. This species is found living in the Indian Ocean and surrounding seas. The shell is porcelaneous (i.e. the surface of the shell is strong, hard, shiny, and somewhat translucent, like [[porcelain]]).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Chavan|first1=Sandeep|last2=Tayade|first2=Sonali|last3=Gupta|first3=Vidya|last4=Deshmukh|first4=Vineeta|last5=Sardeshmukh|first5=Sadanand|date=November 2018|title=Pharmaceutical Standardization and Physicochemical Characterization of Traditional Ayurvedic Marine Drug: Incinerated Conch Shell (Shankha Bhasma)|journal=Marine Drugs|language=en|volume=16|issue=11|pages=450|doi=10.3390/md16110450|pmc=6266202|pmid=30445775|doi-access=free}}</ref>  It could also be the shell of any suitable sea snail which had a hole made for the performer's embouchure.

The overall shape of the main body of the shell is oblong or conical. In the oblong form, it has a protuberance in the middle, but tapers at each end. The upper portion (the [[Siphon (mollusc)|siphonal canal]]) is corkscrew-shaped, while the lower end (the [[Spire (mollusc)|spire]]) is twisted and tapering. Its colour is dull, and the surface is hard, brittle and translucent. Like all snail shells, the interior is hollow. The inner surfaces of the shell are very shiny, but the outer surface exhibits high tuberculation.<ref name= Nadkarni>{{Cite book|last= Nadkarni |first= K. M. |title= Dr. K. M. Nadkarni's Indian Materia medica|work=Turbinella Rapa; or Xanchus Pyrum or Gastropoda, Class: Molusca|pages=164–165|access-date=2009-12-21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s0GJ5NJymywC&q=Shankha&pg=PA165|publisher= Popular Prakashan |year=1994|isbn=81-7154-143-7}}</ref> In Hinduism, the shiny, white, soft shankha with pointed ends and heavy is the most sought after.<ref name= aiyar/>

=== Types ===
In English, the shell of this species is known as the "divine conch" or the "sacred chank". It may also be simply called a "chank" or conch. There are two forms of the shanka: a more common form that is "right-turning" or dextral in pattern, and a very rarely encountered form of reverse coiling or "left-turning" or sinistral.<ref name=":0" /> Based on its direction of coiling, the shankha has two varieties:<ref name= Mookerji>{{Cite book|last= Mookerji |first= Bhudeb |title= The wealth of Indian alchemy & its medicinal uses: being an...|volume = 1| work=Shankh| page=195| access-date=2009-12-21| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aWxGAAAAYAAJ&q=Shankha|publisher= Sri Satguru|year=1998|isbn=81-7030-580-2}}</ref><ref name= Thottam >{{Cite book|last= Thottam |first= Dr. P.J. |title= Modernising Ayurveda|work=Shankh|pages=38–39|access-date=2009-12-21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JdsQSIX5WH8C&q=Shankha&pg=PA38
|publisher= Sura Books |year=2005|isbn=81-7478-640-6}}</ref>

*The ''Vamavarta'' ("left-turned" as viewed with the aperture uppermost): A "very commonly occurring dextral form of the species, where the shell coils or whorls expand in a clockwise spiral when viewed from the apex of the shell."<ref name=":0" /> In Hinduism, a ''dakshinavarta shankha'' symbolizes infinite space and is associated with Vishnu.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=K. V. |title=Hindu Rites and Rituals: Origins and Meanings |date=2015 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=9789385890048 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzoHCwAAQBAJ&q=vamavarti%20shankha&pg=PT99 |language=en}}</ref> The ''Vamavarta shankha'' represents the reversal of the laws of nature and is linked with [[Shiva]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jansen |first1=Eva Rudy |title=De beeldentaal van het indoeïsme |date=1993 |publisher=Binkey Kok Publications |isbn=9789074597074 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1iASyoae8cMC&q=shiva%20reversal%20of%20natural%20laws&pg=PA43 |language=en}}</ref>
*The ''[[Dakshinavarti Shankh|Dakshinavarta shankha]]''  is a "very rare sinistral form of the species, where the shell coils or whorls expand in a counterclockwise spiral if viewed from the apex of the shell."<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Bose |first=Arunava |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6XM_EAAAQBAJ&dq=shankha&pg=PA54 |title=Shrouded in symbols |date=2021-08-26 |publisher=Ukiyoto Publishing |isbn=978-93-5490-116-4 |pages=54 |language=en}}</ref>
The ''Dakshinavarta shankha'' is believed to be the abode of the prosperity goddess [[Lakshmi]] – the consort of Vishnu, and hence this type of shankha is considered ideal for medicinal use. It is a very rare variety from the [[Indian Ocean]]. This type of shankha has three to seven ridges visible on the edge of the [[aperture (mollusc)|aperture]] and on the [[columella (mollusc)|columella]] and has a special internal structure. The right spiral of this type reflects the motion of the planets. It is also compared with the hair whorls on [[the Buddha]]'s head that spiral to the right. The long white curl between Buddha's eyebrows and the conch-like swirl of his navel are also akin to this shankha.<ref name= Thottam/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.navaratna-museum.info/Shells.html|title=Sri Navaratna Museum of Natural Wonders|access-date=2009-12-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091206204802/http://navaratna-museum.info/Shells.html|archive-date=2009-12-06}}</ref>

The ''[[Varaha Purana]]'' tells that bathing with the ''Dakshinavarta shankha'' frees one from sin. The ''[[Skanda Purana]]'' narrates that bathing Vishnu with this shankha grants freedom from sins of seven previous lives. A ''Dakshinavarta shankha ''is considered to be a rare "jewel" or ''ratna'' and is adorned with great virtues. It is also believed to grant longevity, fame and wealth proportional to its shine, whiteness and largeness. Even if such a shankha has a defect, mounting it in gold is believed to restore the virtues of the shankha.<ref name= aiyar/>

==Uses==
[[File:Hindu priest blowing conch during punja.jpg|thumb|right|Hindu priest blowing a shankha during a [[Puja (Hinduism)|''puja'']]]]
In its earliest references, the shankha is mentioned as a [[trumpet]] and in this form it became an emblem of Vishnu. Simultaneously, it was used as a votive offering and as a charm to keep away the dangers of the sea. It was the earliest known sound-producing agency as a manifestation of sound, and the other elements came later, hence it is regarded as the origin of the elements. It is identified with the elements themselves.<ref name= Krishna>{{Cite book|last= Krishna |first= Nanditha|title= The art and iconography of Vishnu-Narayana|work=Shankh|pages=31, 36 and 39|access-date=2009-12-21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ahrqAAAAMAAJ&q=Shankha|publisher= D.B. Taraporevala|year=1980}}</ref><ref name= Nayak>{{Cite book|last= Nayak |first= B. U. |author2=N. C. Ghosh |author3=Shikaripur Ranganatha Rao |title= New Trends in Indian Art and Archaeology| work=Shankha| pages=512–513| access-date=2009-12-21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IsCFAAAAIAAJ&q=Shankha|publisher= Aditya Prakashan|year=1992|isbn=81-85689-12-1}}</ref>

To make a trumpet or wind instrument, one drills a hole near the tip of the [[apex (mollusc)|apex]] of the shankha. When air is blown through this hole, it travels through the whorls of the shankha, producing a loud, sharp, shrill sound. This sound is the reason the shankha was used as a war trumpet, to summon helpers and friends. Shanka continued to be used in battles for a long time. The sound it produced was called ''shankanad''.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

Nowadays, the shankha is blown at the time of worship in Hindu temples and homes, especially in the ritual of the Hindu ''[[aarti]]'', when light is offered to the deities. The shankha is also used to bathe images of deities, especially Vishnu, and for ritual purification. No hole is drilled for these purposes, though the aperture is cut clean or rarely the whorls are cut to represent five consecutive shells with five mouths.<ref name="mitra">{{cite book|last=Rajendralala Mitra|title=Indo-aryans|series=285-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V8KoGspmBGgC&q=sankha&pg=PA287 | isbn=978-1-4067-2769-2 | year=2006 | publisher=Read Books}}</ref><ref name= Avtar>{{Cite book|last= Avtar |first= Ram |title= Musical instruments of India: history and development|work=Shankh|pages=41, 42|access-date=2009-12-21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lL3oAAAAIAAJ&q=Shankha|publisher= Pankaj Publications |year=1983}}</ref>

The shankha is used as a material for making bangles, bracelets and other objects.<ref name="mitra"/> Because of its aquatic origin and resemblance to the vulva, it has become an integral part of the [[Tantra|Tantric]] rites. In view of this, its symbolism is also said to represent female fertility. Since water itself is a fertility symbol, shankha, which is an aquatic product, is recognised as symbolic of female fertility. In ancient [[Greece]], shells, along with [[pearl]]s, are mentioned as denoting sexual love and marriage, and also mother goddesses.<ref name= Krishna/>

Different magic and sorcery items are also closely connected with this trumpet. This type of device existed long before the [[Buddha|Buddhist]] era.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

===Ayurveda===
Shankha is used in [[Ayurveda]] medicinal formulations to treat many ailments. A powder made from the shell material is used in [[ayurveda]] as a treatment for stomach ailments.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Shankh (Shankha) Bhasma |url=https://www.ayurtimes.com/shankh-shankha-bhasma/ |access-date=2016-12-29}}</ref> It is prepared as conch shell ash, known in Sanskrit as ''shankha bhasma'', which is prepared by soaking the shell in lime juice and calcinating in covered crucibles, 10 to 12 times, and finally reducing it to powder ash.<ref name= Nadkarni/> Shankha ash contains calcium, iron and magnesium and is considered to possess antacid and digestive properties.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lakshmi Chandra Mishra|title=Scientific basis for Ayurvedic therapies |page=96|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qo0VPGr0RF4C&q=sankha&pg=PT120 | isbn=978-0-8493-1366-0 | year=2004 | publisher=CRC Press}}</ref>

==Significance==
[[File:Flag of Kingdom of Travancore.svg|thumb|A sacred shankha on the flag of the erstwhile [[Travancore|Kingdom of Travancore]]]]
The sound of the shankha symbolises the sacred ''[[Om]]'' sound. Vishnu holding the conch represents him as the god of sound. The ''[[Brahma Vaivarta Purana]]'' declares that shankha is the residence of both Lakshmi and Vishnu, bathing by the waters led through a shankha is considered like bathing with all holy waters at once. Sankha Sadma Purana declares that bathing an image of Vishnu with cow milk is as virtuous as performing a million ''[[yajna]]s'' (fire sacrifices), and bathing Vishnu with [[Ganges]] river water frees one from the cycle of births. It further says "while the mere sight of the conch (shankha) dispels all sins as the Sun dispels the fog, why talk of its worship?"<ref name="aiyar">{{cite book|last=Aiyar V.AK|title=Symbolism In Hinduism|date=25 November 2019|pages=283–6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kMqD8YrB23QC&q=sankha&pg=PA283 | isbn=978-81-7597-149-3 | publisher=Chinmaya Mission}}</ref> [[Padma Purana]] asserts the same effect of bathing Vishnu by Ganges water and milk and further adds doing so avoids evil, pouring water from a shankha on one's own head before a Vishnu image is equivalent to bathing in the pious Ganges river.<ref name="mitra"/>

In [[Buddhism]], the conch shell has been incorporated as one of the eight auspicious symbols, also called ''[[Ashtamangala]]''. The right-turning white conch shell ({{bo|t=དུང་གྱས་འཁྱིལ|w=dung gyas 'khyil}}), represents the elegant, deep, melodious, interpenetrating and pervasive sound of Buddhism, which awakens disciples from the deep slumber of ignorance and urges them to accomplish their own welfare and the welfare of others.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

The shankha was the Royal State Emblem of [[Travancore]] and also figured on the royal flag of the [[Jaffna kingdom]]. It is also the election symbol of the Indian political party [[Biju Janata Dal]].<ref>{{cite web |title=List of Political Parties & Symbol - Notification dated 23.09.2021 |url=https://old.eci.gov.in/files/file/13711-list-of-political-parties-symbol-main-notification-dated23092021/?do=download |publisher=Election Commission of India |access-date=22 May 2022}}</ref> The shankha was also used by Sikh warriors before they started the war. This tradition is still practiced by all Nihang Singhs while doing Aarti-Aarta (Sikh hymns traditionally sung in the evening by Nihang Singhs) and is used in the festival of Hola Mohalla as well.

The shankha (representing the conch of [[Padmanabhaswamy Temple|the presiding deity of Padmanabhaswamy Temple]] is a part of the state emblem of the Indian state of [[Seal of Kerala|Kerala]]. The symbol was derived from the erstwhile emblems of the Indian [[princely state]] of [[Travancore]], and the [[Kingdom of Cochin]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History of State Emblem |url=https://gad.kerala.gov.in/index.php/history-state-emblem |access-date=22 May 2022 |website=General Administration Department |publisher=Government of Kerala}}</ref>

==Hindu iconography ==
[[File:Conque (Musée des arts asiatiques, Nice) (5941349262).jpg|thumb|left|A shankha carved]]

Shankha is one of the main attributes of Vishnu. Vishnu's images, either in sitting or standing posture, show him holding the shankha usually in his left upper hand, while ''[[Sudarshana Chakra]]'' (''chakra'' – discus), [[Kaumodaki|''gada'']] (mace) and ''[[Padma (Vishnu)|padma]]'' (lotus flower) decorate his upper right, the lower left and lower right hands, respectively.<ref name=sacred>{{Cite web|url=http://www.religiousportal.com/SacredShankha.html|title=Sacred Shankha (Conch Shell)|access-date=2009-12-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702120045/http://www.religiousportal.com/SacredShankha.html|archive-date=2007-07-02}}</ref>

[[File:Dattatreya temple Bhaktapur Nepal.jpg|thumb|The ''shankha'' on the right is the icon for Vishnu at the Dattatreya temple, Bhaktapur Nepal]]
[[Avatar]]s of Vishnu like [[Matsya]], [[Kurma]], [[Varaha]], and [[Narasimha]] are also depicted holding the shankha, along with the other attributes of Vishnu. [[Krishna]] – avatar of Vishnu is described possessing a shankha called Panchajanya. Regional Vishnu forms like [[Jagannath]] and [[Vithoba]] may be also pictured holding the shankha. Besides Vishnu, other deities are also pictured holding the shankha. These include the sun god [[Surya]], [[Indra]] – the king of heaven and god of rain<ref>Jansen pp. 66–7</ref> the war god [[Kartikeya]],<ref>Jansen p. 126</ref> the goddess [[Matrikas|Vaishnavi]]<ref>Jansen p. 131</ref> and the warrior goddess [[Durga]].<ref name = "icono">{{cite book|last=Helle Bundgaard, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies|title=Indian art worlds in contention|pages=183, 58|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=royx-12WRiwC&q=sankha&pg=PA58 | isbn=978-0-7007-0986-1 | year=1999 | publisher=Routledge}}</ref> Similarly, [[Ashta Lakshmi|Gaja Lakshmi]] statues show [[Lakshmi]] holding a shankha in the right hand and lotus on the other.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dalal |first=Roshen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pNmfdAKFpkQC&pg=PA206 |title=The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths |date=2010 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-341517-6 |pages=206 |language=en}}</ref>

Sometimes, the shankha of Vishnu is personified as ''[[Ayudhapurusha]]'' "weapon-man" in the sculpture and depicted as a man standing beside Vishnu or his avatars.<ref name=Rao>Rao, p. 156</ref> This subordinate figure is called the Shankhapurusha who is depicted holding a shankha in both the hands. Temple pillars, walls, [[gopuram|gopurams]] (towers), basements and elsewhere in the temple, sculpted depictions of the shankha and chakra – the emblems of Vishnu – are seen.<ref name= Dallapiccola>{{Cite book|last= Dallapiccola |first= Anna Libera |author2=Anila Verghese |title= Sculpture at Vijayanagara: iconography and style|work=Shankh|pages=44, 58|access-date=2009-12-21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9GzqAAAAMAAJ&q=Shankha
|publisher= Manohar Publishers & Distributors for [[American Institute of Indian Studies]].|year=1998|isbn=81-7304-232-2}}</ref> The city of [[Puri]] also known as [[Samkha Kshetra|Shankha-kshetra]] is sometimes pictured as a shankha or conch in art with the [[Jagannath]] temple at its centre.<ref name = "icono"/>

The shanka is one of the four symbols found on a [[shaligram]], an iconographic [[fossil]] stone particularly found in the [[Gandaki River]] in Nepal which is worshipped by Hindus as a representative of Vishnu.<ref name="Rao p.231-232">Rao pp.231-232</ref>

==Hindu mythology==
A Hindu legend in the ''[[Brahma Vaivarta Purana]]'' recalls the creation of conchs: [[Shiva]] flung a trident towards the [[asura]]s, burning them instantaneously. Their ashes flew in the sea creating conchs.<ref name="aiyar"/> Shankha is believed to be a brother of Lakshmi as both of them were born from the sea. A legend describes an asura named Shankhasura, who was killed by Vishnu's fish [[avatar]], [[Matsya]].<ref>{{cite book|last=B. A. Gupte|title=Hindu holidays and ceremonials|page=xx|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_FSWKWzNSagC&q=matsya+demon+Vishnu+conch&pg=PR20 | isbn=978-81-206-0953-2 | year=1994 | publisher=Asian Educational Services}}</ref>

The conch Panchajanya is one of the many materials that emerged during the [[Samudra Manthana|churning of the ocean]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Walker |first=Benjamin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_J2RDwAAQBAJ&dq=sankha+conch+hinduism&pg=PT66 |title=Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. In Two Volumes. Volume I A-L |date=2019-04-09 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-62421-6 |pages=66 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Shankha bajaudai.jpg|thumb|A ''[[sadhu]]'' sounding the ''shankha'']]
In the [[Hindu epic]]s of the ''[[Ramayana]]'' and the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', the symbol of shankha is widely adopted. In the Ramayana epic, [[Lakshmana]], [[Bharata (Ramayana)|Bharata]] and [[Shatrughna]] are considered part-incarnations of [[Sheshanaga|Shesha]], [[Sudarshana Chakra]], and Panchajanya, respectively, while [[Rama]], their eldest brother, is considered one of the [[Dashavatara]], the ten [[Avatar|avatars]] of Vishnu.<ref name="Naidu">{{Cite book|last= Naidu |first= S. Shankar Raju|author2=Kampar, Tulasīdāsa |title= A comparative study of Kamba Ramayanam and Tulasi Ramayan| work=Shank| pages=44,148| access-date=2009-12-21| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=okVXAAAAMAAJ&q=Shankha|publisher= University of Madras|year=1971}}</ref>

During the [[Kurukshetra War]], Krishna, as the charioteer of the [[Pandava]] prince and a protagonist of the epic – [[Arjuna]] – resounds the Panchajanya to declare war. Panchajanya in Sanskrit means 'having control over the five classes of beings'.<ref name="Avtar" /> All five Pandava brothers are described having their own shankhas. [[Yudhishthira]], [[Bhima]], Arjuna, [[Nakula]] and [[Sahadeva]] are described to possess shankhas named Ananta-Vijaya, Poundra-Khadga, Devadatta, Sughosha and Mani-pushpaka, respectively.<ref name="aiyar" />

In the [[Bhagavad Gita]], the name of different Shankhas of [[Pandavas]] and Kauravas are mentioned:{{quote|Then, Lord Krsna blew His conchshell, called Pancajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhima, the voracious eater and performer of Herculean tasks, blew his terrific conchshell called Paundram|source=Bhagavad Gita , Chapter 1, Verse 15<ref name="asitis.com">{{Cite Q|Q854700|url=https://asitis.com/1/15.html|title=Chapter 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra|website=Asitis.com|language=en|access-date=24 February 2020}}</ref>}}
{{quote|King Yudhisthira, the son of Kunti, blew his conchshell, the Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosa and Manipuspaka. That great archer the King of Kasi, the great fighter Sikhandi, Dhrstadyumna, Virata and the unconquerable Satyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadi, and the others, O King, such as the son of Subhadra, greatly armed, all blew their respective conchshells|source=Bhagavad Gita , Chapter 1, Verse 16–18<ref name="asitis.com"/>}}

==Association with nāgas==
Because of the association of the shankha with water, [[nāga]]s (serpents) are often named after the shankha. The list of Nāgas in the ''Mahabharata'', ''[[Harivamsha]]'' and ''[[Bhagavat Purana|Bhagavata Purana]]'' include Shankha, Mahashankha, Shankhapala, and Shankachuda. The last two are also mentioned in the Buddhist [[Jataka Tales]] and the ''[[Jimutavahana]]''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Indian Serpent Lore Or the Nagas in Hindu Legend and Art |pages=215–16|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nU8JRyvXWnYC&q=sankha&pg=PA215 | first=J. | last=Vogel | isbn=978-0-7661-9240-9 | year=2005 | publisher=Kessinger Publishing}}</ref> A legend states that while using a shankha as part of meditative ritual, a [[sadhu]] blew his shankha in the forest of village Keoli and a snake crept out of it. The snake directed the sadhu that he should be worshipped as Nāga Devata (Serpent God) and since then it has been known as Shanku Naga. Similar legends are narrated at many other places in [[Kullu district]] in [[Himachal Pradesh]].<ref name= Handa>{{Cite book|last= Handa |first= Omacanda |title= Naga cults and traditions in the western Himalaya|work=Shankh|page=200|access-date=2009-12-21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xd50t19YpJEC&q=Shankha&pg=PA200
|publisher= Indus Publishing |year=2004|isbn=81-7387-161-2}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Dakshinavarti Shankh|Dakshinavarti shankha]]
* [[Melo melo]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*Anthology of World Music: The Music of Tibetan Buddhism. [Booklet notes by Peter Crossley-Holland.] [CD] Massachusetts: Rounder Select
*Ellingson, T. (1979). The Mandala of Sound: Concepts and Sound Structures in Tibetan Ritual Music. Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI
* {{cite book|last=Hornell|first=James|title=The sacred Chank of India: A monograph of the Indian Conch (Turbinella pyrum) – Online Book|author-link=James Hornell|publisher=The Superintendent, Government Press, Madras|year=1914|url=https://archive.org/stream/sacredchankofind00horn#page/n5/mode/2up|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723113020/http://www.archive.org/stream/sacredchankofind00horn#page/n5/mode/2up|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-23}}
*{{cite book|last=Jansen|first=Eva Rudy|title=The Book of Hindu Imagery: Gods, Manifestations and Their Meaning|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1iASyoae8cMC&pg=PA144|year=1993|publisher=Binkey Kok Publications|location=Diever|isbn=978-90-74597-07-4|pages=144–}}
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*Marcuse, S. (1975). Musical Instruments: A Comprehensive Dictionary. New York: Norton
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050425055931/http://www.diamondway-teachings.org/content/glossary/music.html Music of Tibetan Buddhism] 
*{{cite book|last=Rao|first=T. A. Gopinatha|title=Elements of Hindu iconography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MJD-KresBwIC&pg=RA1-PA232|access-date=15 June 2016|year=1985|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers|location=Delhi|isbn=9780895817617}}
*Wylie, Turrell (n.d.). [http://www.britannica.com/art/Central-Asian-arts#toc13931 Central Asian arts]. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
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{{commons category|Shankha}}

{{Indian musical instruments}}
{{Musical instruments of Nepal}}

[[Category:Buddhist symbols]]
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