A Shankh is not new to Indian houses. Known popularly in English as a conch, this curiosity is the shell of a sea snail found in the seas around India.
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But did you know that you can use a shankh (or Shankha) to enhance the Vaastu in your home?
7 Vaastu Compliant Shankhs for Your Home
Earlier we saw that the shankh is broadly classified into two types. Here are some recommendations for Shankhas that you can keep in your home.
1. Panchajanya Shankh
As per the Vishnu Purana, the Panchajanya shankh(alternate spelling: Pancajanya) was one of the four divine objects that were carried by Lord Vishnu. Mentions of the Shankh are even found in the Bhagavad Gita—
पाञ्चजन्यं हृषीकेशो देवदत्तं धनञ्जय: |
पौण्ड्रं दध्मौ महाशङ्खं भीमकर्मा वृकोदर:
pāñchajanyaṁ hṛiṣhīkeśho devadattaṁ dhanañjayaḥ
pauṇḍraṁ dadhmau mahā-śhaṅkhaṁ bhīma-karmā vṛikodaraḥ
Translation—
“Lord Krishna blew His conch shell, called Panchajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhima, the voracious eater and performer of extremely difficult tasks, blew his terrific conch shell called Paundram”
Lord Krishna is worshipped as the lord of all senses. The sound of this particular shankh is believed to help you clarify your senses from the bondage of Maaya(worldly illusions) and achieve moksha (liberation).
Read: North West Kitchen Vastu: Creating a Sacred Cooking Haven
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You can place the Panchajanya shankh in your home, office or Cash counter and it will protect you from delusions and give you clarity of vision.
2. Vamavarti Shankh
The Vamavarti shankh or the left-handed shankh has a naturally smooth texture. This shankh is commonly seen at temples and in rituals.
The resonance created by the shankh when it is blown has a calming effect on the mind and is believed to eradicate negative energies and thoughts that plague the mind and soul.
If you are trying to solve financial problems, this is the shankh for you. Keeping the vamavarti shankh in your home will amplify your efforts to remove poverty and help you resolve your financial problems faster.
The Vamavarti shankh is associated with Lord Shiva. It is believed to have the power to reverse the laws of nature.
3. Dakshinavarti Shankh
The dakshinavarti shankh or the right-handed Shankh is the favourite of the goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Durga– You can see them in the images and figurines of both of the goddesses.
You can place this shankh in the house in the southern part of the house and this will pool the energy of Goddess Lakshmi into the home. Your home can become abundant in wealth.
The Shankh will also cleanse your home of any Vaastu defects, thus making your home an abode of grace and happiness.
4. Moti Shankh
Moti Shankh (Pearl Conch/Mother of Pearl) is considered one of the 14 precious gems you can obtain from the sea. This shankh is better labelled as a shell than a conch. The pearl shell has a shiny texture and reflects light.
Read: 5 Ways to Decorate Buddha Statue at Home While Being Vastu-Compliant
It is advised to keep the Moti shankh in your jewel box or cash box to maximise your prosperity.
Keeping the Moti Shankh close to your bed will drain any negative energy from the room and increase the strength of your marital relationship.
5. Gaumukhi Shankh
The Gaumukhi Shankh (Cow-faced conch) is revered in Hindu Sanatana and Buddhist rituals and traditions. This is also known as the panchmukhi shankh(5-faced Shankh).
This rare shankh’s shape resembles that of a cow’s face. Just like how a cow is considered a sacred animal in Hindu traditions, this Shankh also has a special place.
The blessings a gaumukhi shankh will bring are comparable to the blessings you would receive if you keep a cow in your home.
6. Heera Shankh
Heera Shankh (Diamond conch), also known as Pahari shankha(conch-shell-from-the-hills) has the sparkle of a diamond and hence the name. This right-handed shankh(Dakshniavarthi) collects and focuses on the blessings of Devi Mahalaxmi and Lord Vishnu.
This shankh is associated with abundance and harmony. Worship using this shankh to attain the highest level of competence in your skills and abilities. The best position to keep this shankh is in your Puja room.
7. Kauri Shankh
The kauri shankhas(alternate spelling: Cowrie conch) are the smallest of the shankhas and also the rarest. A clasp of kauris can be kept together to ensure positive vibes in your home.
Known just as kavadis in the southern part of India, these shankhas are used in Vedic Astrology (Kavadi-Jyotisha) to make predictions on life, progress and marital relations and even Vaastu.
The Importance of Shankh in Indian Culture
You will find the Shankh in various occasions and places—as a sacred object for rituals, as a trumpet, and as an emblem or as jewellery.
For those of us who grew up listening to the tales from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, the Shankh is popular as a trumpet used to herald the starting of a war. Heroes of Mahabharata had a dedicated Shankhas– Lord Krishna’s called the Panchajanya.
The sound of the Shankha is believed to represent the truth that hides behind Maya (worldly illusion). Blowing a Shankh is about removing obstacles and impediments between yourself and your goal.
The body of the Shankha is considered the symbol of the Hindu God Vishnu (the preserver). For the same reason, you will find it used as an insignia. You can find the Shankha representing Lord Vishnu in the state emblem of Kerala.
Vastu Benefits of Keeping a Shankh in Your Home
If you already have a Puja Mandir in your home—with the Idol of Lord Ganesh— the Shankh placed in the vicinity of the Ganesh figurine will amplify the blessings from your mandir. A Shankha’s sound is believed to possess the power to clear away obstacles in your life.
Blowing a Shankh creates a resonance that is said to purify the energies that are present in your home. The vibrations produced are associated with healing and good sleep.
A Shankh can stabilise your interpersonal relationships. Keeping a Shankh in its positive influence can result in healthier and stronger marital bonds.
A Shankh in your home will bring the blessings of both Goddess Lakshmi (wealth, fortune and prosperity) and Goddess Saraswathi (Knowledge, wisdom and creativity).
Vaastu Tips: How to Use a Shankh and Where to Place it
Keeping a Shankh in your home will bring the best results if you follow these guidelines for the placement and worship of the Shankh.
Shankh in the Mandir: How to Place the Shankh in Your Pooja Room
The Shankh should be placed pointing to the Idol of the god or goddess being worshipped. This is to allow the shankha to absorb energies emanating from the deity.
If you want the shankh in your pooja room to create a maximum positive impact,
You must follow these guidelines–
For Pujas and rituals, the left-handed shankh is preferred to be used as a trumpet. The scriptures advise blowing the left-handed shankh as it is believed to possess the power to remove inauspicious frequencies (Raja and Tama frequencies) from the air.
The Shankh in the puja room should be pointed towards the deity in the mandir.
The best way to support the shankh is on a silver base.
Keep the shankh in such a way that the opening of the shankh is pointing towards the ceiling of the mandir. Place it on the right side of the room, filled with crimson threads.
You can draw the swastika emblem on the Shankh with Sandal paste. Keep the shankh decorated with flowers and agarbattis(incense sticks).
Shankh Worship: The Best Rituals for Worshipping the Shankh
Ensure that the Shankh is clean before you place it anywhere. You may clean the iron at any auspicious time(Shubh Muhurat) on Thursdays.
For pujas,
- Fill the shankh with water and worship the Kalasha (ritual pot).
- Worship using tulsi leaves, sandalwood paste and flowers and
- Sprinkle water inside the shankha on the audience.
The water stored inside the shankha is considered to be equivalent in purity to the waters of the holy river Ganga.
Don’t Do These 3 Things with a Shankh
If you want to maximise the positive power of your shankh, don’t do these things with a Shankh–
- Don’t use the ritual shankh for any other purpose.
- Don’t touch the Shiv-ling with the shankh.
- Don’t use it for bathing Surya(Sun God) or Shiva deities.
The 2 Categories of Shankha You Must Know About
Did you know that there are two types of Shankhas?
When you view a shankh from the top you will spot that it has a spiral structure. This is often called the chirality of a shankh or the handedness of a shankh.
People from the Vedic age had spotted that while some Shankhas had a clockwise(left to right)spiral, others had an anti-clockwise(right to left) spiral. Based on this the Shankh would be called either
- Dakshinavarti (South/Right–turning/winding)
- Vamavartha(North/Left–turning/winding)
In English, these categories are labelled as the right-handed(dextral) and the left-handed(sinistral) conch respectively.
The Right-handed Shankh (Dakshinavarti Shankh), also known as Valampuri Sankh/Valampuri Sanggu is sacred and auspicious.
Getting an Authentic Shankh for Your Home
One thing that you have to be careful about while buying a shankh is its authenticity. Given the advances in 3D printing and plastic moulding technology, it is easy to get scammed into buying a fake shankh.
Many reliable online retailers sell Shankh. You can buy it from one such verified seller. Alternatively, you can enquire in Vaastu, architecture and interior decor shops for the same.
Benefits of Conch Shell according to Feng-Shui
The conch shell is one of the 8 auspicious symbols of Lord Buddha. According to Fengshui, keeping a conch shell in your home can protect you from evil energy.
Keeping the conch shell in the southwestern corner of your bedroom can help make positive strides in marital relationships.
How Can NoBroker Help
Choosing the right Shankh for your home doesn’t have to be challenging. NoBroker’s Home Decor Team and Furniture team are Experts in Vaastu-compliant designs.
FAQs
1. Where can I get a shankh from?
It is recommended that you search and buy Shankhs from authentic sources. The best way is to approach a Vaastu and Interior decor expert who will be able to guide you and help you pick the right Shankh.
2. In which directions should I keep my shankh?
If you are placing your shankh in the puja room it is best to keep it pointed towards the deity. Generally, the shankh should be placed with its opening facing the ceiling. You can use flower decorations to worship the shankh.
3. How many times should I blow the Shankh?
To ensure the best practice you must blow the shankh three times, during the Aarti ritual, before you offer the light to the deity in your puja room.
4. What is Shankh bhasm?
Shankh Bhasm or the ashes of a shankh is used in ayurvedic practices as an antacid–to relieve acidity in the stomach.
The ashes of the shankh have an alkaline property that can neutralise stomach acids. Perhaps this is why shankh bhasm serves as an antidote to gas and bloating.
5.What is shankh Naad?
Shankh Naad (Conch-sound) is the Sanskrit word for the resonance produced by a shankh when it is blown. The Shankh naad has multiple meanings across Indian culture.
It is used similarly to a herald which initiates the war, in Mahabharata. It is also believed to remove any physical or metaphysical obstacles between you and your dreams.
