The Antiquities of Orissa v1.c10.320.1

v1.c10.320.1

The conch shells of commerce are contributed by three different species; 1st, *Turbinella rapa*; 2nd, *Mazza rapa*; and 3rd, *Voluta gravis*. Of these the first produces the largest shells, best adapted for wind instruments, in making which the only ingenuity required is to drill a hole at the base in such a manner as not to injure the whorls. When blown through the wind, passing through the different whorls, produces a loud, sharp, shrill, piercing sound which spreads far and wide, and by its nature quickly attracts attention. Hence the conch was held in great esteem as a war trumpet. In the present day, it is used as a trumpet in the temples to mark the close of a religious ceremony called *ārati*, in course of which lights, napkins, and other articles are turned repeatedly in front of an image, and also at *quasi* religious ceremonies, which the fair sex celebrate to mark particular domestic occurrences. The second species produces the most elongated shells, and they are used for offering water to the gods during the *ārati* aforesaid, for bathing the images of Viṣṇu, and for lustrations generally. For this purpose no perforation at the base is needed, but the whorls within have to be cut out clean. Occasionally, but very rarely, the whorls are so cut as to represent five consecutive shells, one within the other, and these are described to be so many separate shells coalesced into one, or five separate mouths, *pañcamukha*, of one shell.