Ritual object
Conch (Shankha)
शङ्ख
Meaning
The shankha is the spiral marine shell sounded to announce the start of puja and arati. Its sound is identified with the primordial Om, and its spiral is read as the unwinding of cosmic time. Vishnu holds it in his upper-left hand as Panchajanya, the conch whose blast frightens away inauspicious forces.
Use in rituals
- Blown three times to open arati and at the end of puja
- Filled with water for abhisheka of Vishnu, Krishna and Lakshmi murtis
- Placed on a tripod (shankha-stand) on the puja altar facing the deity
- Carried in temple processions and blown at significant moments of Hindu weddings
- A naturally right-spiralled (dakshinavarti) shankha is worshipped as Lakshmi herself
- Natural marine conch shell (Turbinella pyrum)
- Silver-mounted conch
- Brass conch (decorative)
- Sphatika (crystal) shankha for high-end altars
Iconography
A spiral white shell with a wide opening at one end and a pointed apex at the other; the standard left-spiralled (vamavarti) form is used for blowing, while the rarer right-spiralled (dakshinavarti) form is treated as a deity in itself.
Modern relevance
Remains in daily ritual use across temples and home altars; the conch-blast continues to mark the opening of weddings, foundation-stone ceremonies and Hindu state functions.
Explore further
See the full symbol library, the Lord Vishnu guide, related Sanskrit mantras, and the complete wisdom library.