The Commonwealth Games was got started to a spectacular start with the blowing of conch shell or to the ‘shankha nad’. This is the traditional way any auspicious religious ceremony or programme is started in India. Therefore the question naturally arises is the significance of conch or ‘shankha’ as we Indians call it.
A conch is a sea-dwelling mollusc. In Hindu religion, it is considered to be one of the most auspicious objects that emerged from the sea during Ksheera Sagara Manthan†It is a topic to be dealt with separately because it has its own mythological story. However it is sufficient to know that Ksheera Samudra Manthan means churning of sea of milk. It is believed that when the good (angels) and evil (devils) were churning the sea with the Mandaranchal mountain several articles came out and one among them was shanka. Therefore it is regarded pious article and very auspicious. To initiate religious ceremonies, a shankha is blown. God Vishnu, the God of Preservation, is shown with a shankha in one hand and a disc or a chakra in the other.
The sacred conch shell, therefore, is an integral part of Hindu symbolic and religious tradition. It symbolizes luster, brilliance, purity and auspicious beginning. It is also used as a container for holy water ( shankha teertha ). The shankha mudra (both hands pressed together by making scissors like pose – one of yoga poses) is also used during various tantric rituals and meditation. It ushers in freshness and new hope.
Each shankha has a specific name. God Vishnu’s shankha is called “Panchajanya”. In the epic war, Mahabharata, the conch shell held a significant place. Sri Krishna ( Vishnu ) blew his Panchajanya conch while announcing the readiness of Pandavas to fight the Kauravas, their cousins in the Kurukshetra battle. It announced the victory of good over evil..
There are two types of Shankha – left handed conch shell and right handed conch shell. Left handed conch shells are common while right handed conch shells which open towards right are very rare. Right handed conch shell is kept at home by many people as it is believed to bring wealth and prosperity. It is also associated with Kubera, god of wealth. Many institutions and organizations employ conch shell as their symbol
. Leaving aside the mythology part, the conch shell’s significance can also be corroborated by science. If you try holding a shankha near your ear, the sound of the gently humming ocean can be heard. This is said to be actually the natural vibration or cosmic energy of the Earth which gets magnified on entering the conch shell.
There is a specific way for blowing the conch to get maximum benefit from it, It is said that “the person blowing the conch should raise his neck upwards and fully concentrate on the sound of the conch. When blowing the conch, the eyes should be closed and a spiritual emotion should be nurtured.†It is believed that the vibrations from these conch shells can overpower evil forces from the Earth and at the same time also clear environmental pollution including healing the hole in the ozone layer which causes global warming. According to science, the blowing of a conch shell enhances the positive psychological vibrations such as courage, determination, hope, optimism, willpower, etc. in the blower as well as those around him.
Therefore the CWG was started with blowing of Shankha and the result is before us. The CWG was a fantastic success on the tracks for Indians and perhaps shankha was used specifically for that purpose due to the various hiccups which the OC of the CWG had committed. Yet again India proved that it’s religious beliefs are as true as the seven colours of a rainbow..